Milwaukee Brewers: Why was Jeremy Jeffress pulled from a game?

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Jeremy Jeffress left Wednesday’s game after only three pitches thrown. Is this just a precaution or is there more to the story?

Jeremy Jeffress took the mound in the fourth inning of the Milwaukee Brewers Spring Training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. But he didn’t finish it.

Jeffress tossed a few pitches before manager Craig Counsell and trainer Scott Barringer came out of the dugout. Jeffress appeared confused, and reportedly requested to stay in the game. However, the radar gun doesn’t lie. Jeffress was only hitting 83-to-84 MPH on his fastball.

How was Jeffress throwing before Wednesday?

Well, this was actually his first appearance of the Spring. The Milwaukee Brewers held Jeffress out due to right shoulder soreness.

It’s amazing Jeffress was allowed to take the mound at all today. The Brewers had to have seen him throw in warm ups, and it’s more than likely that Jeffress didn’t look much better than he did when he actually took the mound.

Didn’t Jeffress miss time last year?

He missed time late in the season with neck injuries, and then had an undisclosed issue that caused him to miss a playoff game. Jeffress logged heavy innings last year, and it was no wonder that he was banged up by the end of the year. His 73 appearances made and 76 2/3 innings thrown were both career highs, and that doesn’t count the playoff appearances.

What’s the plan for Jeffress moving forward?

It sounds like the plan is for Jeffress to take a few days off, focus on strength and conditioning, and then try to get back on a throwing program. The only announcement from the team was that Jeffress has right shoulder soreness. However, there aren’t any additional tests scheduled.

Jeffress was a huge reason why the Milwaukee Brewers were able to win the division. Almost all of his innings came in high-leverage situations. The Brewers need a healthy Jeffress working as a bridge to Josh Hader and Corey Knebel. If he can’t get his shoulder into shape, the Brewers bullpen will have to start the season without a key piece. He still has time, but the clock is ticking.