With their impressive 44-31 record, the first-place Milwaukee Brewers hold a 6.5 game lead over the competition in the NL Central. However, things will get much trickier for the Brewers without one of their rising pitchers on their roster.
Rookie Robert Gasser is set to undergo Tommy John surgery, via the Associated Press. The left-hander was placed on the injured list in early June with a flexor strain. He sought out opinions from three separate doctors before deciding to go under the knife. Gasser is now poised to miss the remainder of the 2024 season and a good portion of the 2025 campaign.
While he may have just been getting his toes wet in the major leagues, Gasser's loss is a major one for the Brewers. But despite his injury, manager Pat Murphy thinks Gasser proved that he'll be ready to compete once he makes his return.
“Tough break for him, obviously,” Murphy said. “The reasoning you can understand, right? Get it taken care of now, back hopefully in 12ish, 13ish months and be able to hopefully contribute.”
“I think the one thing he got out of the year was that he understands, ‘I can pitch in the big leagues, I can be successful. He had as good a five starts as anybody could hope for in their first five starts in the big leagues,” Murphy continued. “I think that's a big win for the organization and him. He knows he can do it, the organization knows he can do it, so it bodes well.”
Back in spring training, Robert Gasser was trying to make his pitch on why he deserves a spot on the Opening Day roster. However, bone spurs in his elbow delayed his arrival. Now, similar elbow issues will cancel his entire season.
Gasser joins Brandon Woodruff and Wade Miley as Milwaukee pitchers who have already been ruled out for the year. The Brewers will continue battling for the right to wear the NL Central crown. But as the injuries continue mounting, that goal becomes more and more elusive.
What Robert Gasser brings to Brewers
Gasser's injury hurts so much based on just how good the lefty looked during his brief MLB stint. After getting the call in early May, Gasser went on to post a 2-0 record with a 2.57 ERA and a 16/1 K/BB ratio over five starts.
His best appearance came in his second start against the Chicago Cubs on May 27. Over six shutout innings, Gasser allowed just three hits and zero walks while striking out seven in a 5-1 victory. But each outing proved that Gasser has true potential in MLB. He had that same number of scoreless outings as he did games with three+ runs allowed. Furthermore, he only walked one batter over 28 innings pitched.
Acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Josh Hader trade, the Brewers were counting on Gasser to pan out. He certainly caught the eye of pundits across the league, ranking as the No. 4 prospect in Milwaukee's organization. The team is hopeful Gasser develops into a member of the future rotation.
But for now, he must rehab. Robert Gasser's unfortunate injury has put a speed bump in front of his impressive rookie campaign. The Brewers must now pickup the pieces while waiting for what they hope is a successful Gasser return.
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