Milwaukee Brewers: Why didn’t Jeremy Jeffress close on Monday?

Corey Knebel picked up his 16th save of the season for the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night. Why didn’t Jeremy Jeffress get the call?

Milwaukee Brewers closer Jeremy Jeffress never warmed up or appeared in the bullpen on Monday night. Now we know why. Jeffress is day-to-day with neck spasms and was ruled out before the game started.

When will Jeffress appear again?

It’s unclear. He’s day-to-day, meaning his status will get updated daily. He’s not out long term, but it’s unlikely he’ll appear in the current series with the St. Louis Cardinals. It would be great if Jeffress could appear before the playoffs start, but there isn’t an announced return date yet.

When did this injury occur?

It’s also unclear when Jeffress picked up this injury. He last threw on Friday night, and his appearance was uneventful. He recorded three consecutive outs in the ninth inning of a game that was well in hand, and didn’t appear to be in any distress.

Who closes in Jeffress’ absence?

Well, Corey Knebel should close, but he’s worked three of the last four days. He’s likely unavailable for Tuesday’s game. If that’s the case, Joakim Soria makes the most sense given Josh Hader‘s struggles in St. Louis.

The injury to Jeffress is ill-timed, but it could actually end up as a blessing in disguise. Jeffress has worked a lot in the past month, and this gives him a chance to take a few days off heading into the playoffs. The Milwaukee Brewers would prefer to have their closer, but they have the bullpen depth to endure an injury for a few days. However, this injury could cause issues if it lingers past the regular season. The Brewers have a week to figure this out and try to get Jeffress back to 100%. Hopefully that’s enough time to get him back.