Brewers News: Matt Bush Placed On 15 Day IL, Alex Claudio and Jake Cousins Promoted

The Milwaukee Brewers made several roster moves on Monday following a series loss to the Boston Red Sox. All of the moves involved the bullpen and there's a rehab update on another injured Brewers pitcher. Let's go through them one by one.

1. Brewers Place RHP Matt Bush On 15 Day IL

Matt Bush was placed on the 15-day IL with rotator cuff tendonitis. Seeing that Matt Bush's struggles may have been injury induced gives me slightly more confidence in his ability to be a high-leverage reliever. This could also provide Peter Strzelecki or someone else an opportunity to win the setup man job.

2. RHP Javy Guerra Designated For Assignment

Javy Guerra struggled royally with the Brewers. The right-hander had an 8.64 ERA in eight appearances and had more walks than strikeouts. This move allowed the Brewers space to make their next move. Guerra has no minor league options so he will likely be on waivers.

3. LHP Alex Claudio Selected From AAA Nashville

Designating Javy Guerra for assignment allows for Alex Claudio to be added to the RosterI've mentioned Claudio as a potential addition in previous articles. Claudio is a left-handed pitcher which is a plus because the Brewers only had one southpaw in the bullpen before adding him. This will allow Counsell to not have to be as selective with how he utilizes Hoby Milner and other relievers as he has a little more flexibility. Claudio was one of the biggest parts of the Brewers' bullpen in the past. He appeared in 103 games for the Brewers and has put together a respectable career as a left-handed specialist.

4. Jake Cousins Recalled From AAA Nashville

Jake Cousins has appeared in 42 games for the Brewers and has posted a stellar 2.70 ERA. However, a UCL injury forced him to miss most of last season. As baseball fans have come to learn over the years UCL injuries can be difficult to bounce back from and Cousins seems to be no outlier. In five AAA appearances Cousins has a 10.38 ERA this season.

5. Adrian Houser To Make One More AAA Start

The Brewers have been without Houser, who suffered a groin injury, but the right hander is on his way back. On Sunday Houser pitches 4.2 innings and had 0 earned runs for the Nashville Sounds. The plan is for him to make one more AAA start then the Brewers will reassess. Assuming all goes well in Houser's next start he should be back with the Brewers. Houser owns a career 4.31 ERA as a starter and a 1.76 ERA as a reliever. The sinker baller's ability to work multiple innings out of the bullpen and make spot starts will provide a big boost to the pitching staff.

Overall these are good moves. The Brewers gave their bullpen a makeover by bringing in some new faces like Alex Claudio and Jake Cousins. As a bonus, we got some promising news about Adrian Houser. All of these will give Counsell a lot more flexibility in the bullpen.