Milwaukee Brewers Get Tough Injury News on Reliever JB Bukauskas, Outfielder Garrett Mitchell

In addition to shifting Garrett Mitchell to the 60-day IL with a fractured finger, the Milwaukee Brewers placed reliever JB Bukauskas hit the 15-day IL on Sunday.
Sep 20, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher J.B. Bukauskas (50) throws from the mound.
Sep 20, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher J.B. Bukauskas (50) throws from the mound. / Jeff Le-USA TODAY Sports
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The Milwaukee Brewers placed relief pitcher JB Bubauskas on the 15-day injured list with a strained right lat as part of a slew of roster moves Sunday.

Left-handed pitcher Jared Koenig was selected from Triple-A Nashville to take Bubauskas' place in the bullpen. Outfielder Joey Wiemer was recalled from Triple-A as well, while infielder Andruw Monasterio got optioned to make room for him.

Amid it all, outfielder Garrett Mitchell was transferred from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list due to the fractured left index finger he suffered in March. Manager Pat Murphy initially gave Mitchell a 6-to-8 week recovery timeline, but general manager Matt Arnold recently said he wouldn't return until June 1.

The former top prospect was limited to 19 games in 2023 due to shoulder surgery. He hit .319 with an .810 OPS in Spring Training, and he is a career .278 hitter with a .795 OPS in 47 regular season appearances.

As for Bukauskas, he took the mound Saturday and earned a hold in the Brewers' 11-5 road win over the Baltimore Orioles. Bukauskas was off to a hot start in 2024, boasting a 1.50 ERA, 0.667 WHIP, 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings, a 0.2 WAR and two holds through six appearances.

The Brewers claimed Bukauskas off waivers from the Seattle Mariners last April, and while he spent a lot of the season in Triple-A or on the injured list, he thrived whenever he took the mound in the big leagues. Bukauskas went 2-2 with a 7.85 ERA, 1.909 WHIP and -1.1 WAR during his time with the Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks, but he has a 0.75 ERA, 0.750 WHIP and a 0.4 WAR in his Brewers career.

Milwaukee's bullpen ranks just No. 13 with a 3.74 ERA so far this season, but the group ranks atop the NL with a 1.019 WHIP.

The reshuffled Brewers will go for a three-game sweep against the Orioles on Sunday. First pitch for the series finale is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.