Brewers starter Freddy Peralta lasted just three innings on Sunday against the Nationals, coughing up five runs on six hits. That'll be the last we see of him for a while, too.
After Sunday's game, Brewers manager Craig Counsell told reporters that Peralta would be headed to the injured list with what they were referring to as right shoulder tightness at the time. Since then, Peralta underwent an MRI and we know now Peralta has a right posterior shoulder strain. When asked to put a timetable on the possible return of Peralta, Counsell didn't paint a pretty picture -- at least not in the short term.
"I don't know the answer (to that)," Counsell said via Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "The best I can say right now is we expect him to pitch again this year, but it's gonna be a significant chunk of time."
Peralta, 25, had a breakout season in 2021, making the NL All-Star team. He was headed for some down-ballot Cy Young consideration before hitting the injured list with shoulder inflammation. He finished the season 10-5 with a 2.81 ERA (150 ERA+), 0.97 WHIP and 195 strikeouts in 144 1/3 innings, good for 4.0 WAR.
Along with Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes and fellow All-Star Brandon Woodruff, Peralta formed a trio of aces for the Brewers entering this season.
Peralta has actually been mostly great this season, too, with two bad outings (including Sunday) roughing up his ERA. He's struck out 50 in 38 2/3 innings and has a 2.09 FIP compared to his 4.42 ERA.
Regardless, the Brewers will now embark on a big portion of the 2022 season without him. Lefty Aaron Ashby takes the Peralta spot in the rotation behind Burnes and Woodruff, with Eric Lauer and Adrian Houser rounding out the five. It's still a very good rotation, of course, but the upside is a touch lower without Peralta in the mix.
The Brewers are 26-15 and entered Monday with a three-game lead over the Cardinals in the NL Central. They start a tough 11-game road trip in San Diego Monday night.
