Tommy John strikes again: Injured Brewers starter out rest of season

MILWAUKEE — The bad news on the injury front for the Milwaukee Brewers just keeps coming. And Friday’s was a gut punch, to be sure.

Starting pitcher Wade Miley told reporters prior to the team’s interleague series opener against the New York Yankees at American Family Field that recent imaging showed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow that will need surgery to correct.

He plans on having the procedure done as soon as possible, and will miss the rest of the season as a result.

Then there’s also the matter of the rest of his career – at 37 years old and with over 12 years of major-league service time under his belt, Miley will need to decide whether working toward a potential comeback in 2025 is realistic.

‘I need the full Tommy John,’ said Miley, who signed what was essentially a one-year, $8.5 million contract with the Brewers on Dec. 4. ‘It’s off the bone enough where I can’t do the brace (a type of UCL repair). We’ll get it fixed and then I’ll have the option in 10, 11, 12 months whether or not we’re going to keep going.

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‘It sucks. But at the end of the day it’s always a possibility, especially pitchers, that it can happen. I’ve just got to keep my head down, move forward and find other ways to be impactful in the clubhouse and around the fellas.’

Miley was slow to get up to speed physically in spring training and pitched only two innings in one Cactus League appearance before opening the season on the IL with a shoulder issue.

He returned on April 10 with four innings against the Cincinnati Reds, then made a three-inning start against the San Diego Padres six days later before going back on the IL on Monday with what was termed as elbow inflammation.

‘Wade has always battled,’ said manager Pat Murphy. ‘He’s had a lot of ailments but he always toes the rubber and gives you great effort. He’s such an example for everyone else with the way he competes and how helpful he is as a teammate.

‘So, when one of those guys goes down, it hurts.’

Indeed, aside from the production the Brewers hoped they’d again be getting from Miley — he went 9-4 with a 3.14 ERA and WHIP of 1.14 in 22 starts (120⅓ innings) in 2024 — they also were well aware of the value he brings to the clubhouse.

‘This moves him to a non-playing player who’s now coaching,’ said Murphy.

Miley said after his IL placement Monday that he thought maybe he was dealing with bone spurs in his elbow. He had imaging done Tuesday and received the bad news not long thereafter.

‘I knew it was a different pain than I was dealing with the last couple years,’ he said. ‘But it doesn’t really hurt that bad. That’s the weird part. I thought UCL damage would be more painful; I’ve seen videos of dudes blowing out that looked like it hurt. I never really got to that. It was just discomfort.

‘I don’t know how long it’s been messed up. I know I haven’t felt right, really, since spring training. At what point it happened? I can’t take you to a pitch, can’t take you to a moment. It just is what it is.’

In his third stint with the Brewers (2018, 2023 and this season), Miley is 108-99 with a 4.07 ERA in 317 career appearances with 310 of those starts.

A first-round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011, Miley has pitched for eight organizations in all. His no-hitter while pitching for the Cincinnati Reds in May of 2021 was is biggest highlight to date.

While mulling what’s to come, Miley stressed the importance to him of being able to write the end of his story if at all possible.

‘That was the hardest thought when you get the news,’ he said. ‘It’s like, ‘Dadgum. I’m 37 years old. Who knows what’s next?’ I’ve always said I want to go out on my own (terms). I still feel like I’ve got more in the tank.

‘I’m weirdly kind of excited. Get this thing fixed and maybe I can pitch without pain for a little bit. I’ve been dealing with elbow stuff for 4-5 years now. Looking on the bright side, we get this thing fixed up, who knows?’

Functioning on the margins of their pitching depth has been the theme so far on the young season for the Brewers, who are now down three starters from their opening-day rotation.

DL Hall was placed on the IL on Sunday with a left knee sprain and Jakob Junis has been on the IL since April 6 with a shoulder impingement.

Then there’s closer Devin Williams, who will remain sidelined until roughly the all-star break with stress fractures in his back.

‘There’s a limit to depth,’ Murphy said with a chuckle. ‘Nine of our top 16 pitchers are out, so we’re having to fill in with guys that we had no idea would be in the big leagues. That’s a challenge. But at the same time, it’s a great opportunity.

‘It forces us to do everything we can sometimes without the luxuries that other teams have, that have a different type of depth, different type of starters.’

Junis, meanwhile, resumed playing catch Friday after the scary incident he endured in Pittsburgh on Monday.

‘A lot better,’ Junis said. ‘The first day or two was pretty rough; had headaches and was sore and stuff.’

Junis was his in the back of his head by a batted ball during Pirates batting practice. Although players routinely shag fly balls and do running workouts throughout pre-game, what happened to Junis was somewhat unusual.

‘I was just doing some sprints. Got toward the end of my sprint and someone said heads up. I turned my head out of the way and it just squared me up. Got me right where my hairline meets my neck. Dropped me pretty good.

‘Wasn’t feeling too hot there for a little bit. I’d kind of describe it as it stunned me and took me off my feet. I don’t remember falling down; I just remember rolling over and taking my glasses off and covering my eyes.’

Junis was immobilized, taken off the field in an ambulance and then examined at a local hospital.

‘Got all the tests and an MRI and CT scan and avoided the major damage,’ he said. ‘Thankfully, no bleeding in the brain or broken vertebrae in the neck or anything like that.

‘Just a really tough hit and sore for a few days.’

With regard to Junis, Murphy said the Brewers need to be open-minded about his potential role on the pitching staff whenever he’s healthy enough to return.

‘We’ve got to decide,’ he said. ‘He’s had chronic shoulder issues. That’s maybe why the Giants had him doing what he was doing (relieving with occasional starts). So, we’ve got to consider that.’