Ken Macha said that he noticed Zach Braddock's fastball velocity dropping from about 94 miles per hour to 90 miles per hour in his most recent outing, last Monday. He said Braddock just needed a few days of rest. Any injury concerns with Braddock should be treated very seriously because he has dealt with significant arm problems in the past.
July 11th: Average 92.9, Max 95.4 (11 fastballs, 5 sliders)
July 15th: Average 92.4, Max 94.6 (13 fastballs, 3 sliders)
July 16th: Average 93.1, Max 94.1 (6 fastballs, 3 sliders)
July 19th: Average 91.5, Max 92.3 (12 fastballs, 4 sliders)
This is all compared to an average fastball velocity above 93. So it does look as if he is in fact down a little bit lately overall, and that the most recent outing was his worst in terms of fastball velocity. For most pitchers I might consider this an overreaction, but I'm all for taking things slow with Braddock due to his history and dominance when he's healthy. Especially being out of contention, the Brewers need to give Braddock all the time he needs to come back strong.