Two Steps Forward, One Back: Ishikawa Returns, Marcum to DL

Welcome back, Travis Ishikawa; goodbye Shaun Marcum.

In a season marred by injuries, the Brewers can add one more name to the list of walking wounded as Shuan Marcum was placed on the 15-day Disabled List Saturday. This comes off the heels of the return of the back-up first baseman on Saturday as well as veteran shortstop Cesar Isturiz, who went 0-3 in a return to the lineup in the third game against the White Sox.

Ishikawa told the Brewers’ Adam McCalvy that he was “able to play without any hesitation or apprehension” as well as “100 percent intensity.”

Having the extra bat in Ishikawa is especially nice as it will give Corey Hart and Norichika Aoki some time to rest – Hart has struck out 11 times in his last 10 games and Aoki has seen his numbers dwindle to .274 over the same time span – but losing another starting pitcher is certainly troubling.

The injury doesn’t look to be anything major, as the Brewers chose to back date Marcum’s DL stint to after his last start on June 15th. The plan is for Marcum to miss more than two starts as he battles ongoing elbow soreness.

The righty missed his last start against his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays, and for a time it didn’t look like he would miss any time at all. He had thrown catch a few times with the team, but the problem was too persistent to afford Marcum his usual spot in the rotation.

Ron Roenicke told the Brewers website the following regarding his injury:

The feeling was we would have to push him to that start, and we didn’t know if we wanted to do that

A tentative return date for Marcum is set for July 1st, when the Brewers host the Arizona Diamondbacks.