Milwaukee Brewers: Knebel back in Milwaukee

Corey Knebel is officially finished with his rehab assignment. The Milwaukee Brewers bullpen did not struggle without him. But, having him back will help to save some of the other arms and help give more structure to the relieving squad.

Corey Knebel is back in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Brewers have not yet made an announcement regarding roster moves. But, that will likely surface soon.

According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Corey Knebel participated in the pre-game warm-up with the Milwaukee Brewers today. That is good news.

How did he do in Biloxi?

Well. Very well.

He made three appearances for the Shuckers for a total of 2.2 innings. He did not give up an earned run, with a K/9 rate of 13.50. Yes, it is a very small sample size. But, it is evidence enough that Corey Knebel is ready to return to the majors.

When will he be activated?

It isn’t going to be today. He will likely be reactivated on Wednesday.

The Milwaukee Brewers will then have to make a corresponding move. It’s likely that it will be Brett Phillips who is sent back down to Colorado Springs, but the Crew may surprise us.

They could also send down another one of the arms in the bullpen, potentially Jorge Lopez. That’s a less likely scenario than Phillips is, but it is still entirely possible.

The Knebel Effect

The Milwaukee Brewers have made what they had work. Even though most teams have been hit by injuries this season, the Crew has arguably been hit the hardest. But, players have stepped up to fill the void that Corey Knebel’s hamstring injury left.

Several bullpen arms had to step in during closing and save situations. Among those, Josh Hader was truly the shining star. With a set closer in Knebel, the Milwaukee Brewers will be able to put Hader back into a middle relief role.

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With Corey Knebel coming back, the Milwaukee Brewers bullpen will hopefully become a little more stable.