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Aramis Ramirez is likely soon-to-be placed on the disabled list. The Brewers' bullpen has been pitching a lot over the past few weeks. Ryan Braun is nearly back from an oblique injury -- a malady that can linger for some time -- and is assumedly still being bothered by a screwed up thumb. Brandon Kintzler hasn't pitched well since coming off the DL. The Brewers' depth is more-or-less non-existent. Khris Davis still can't find his swing for an extended stretch of time.
What a fine time to go without a break!
After a day off before the Yankees series and a day off Monday after winning the series 2-1, the Brewers are now entering a long stretch with minimal time off. Beginning Tuesday against the Pirates, Milwaukee will play 16 games in a row before a day off at the end of May. They'll then play another ten games, have a day off, then play 20 consecutive days to take them to the end of June.
All-in-all, the Brewers will be playing 46 games in just 48 days. That encompasses 15 series (breaking up a four-game stretch against the Twins in two -- the first pair will be played at home, the latter in Minnesota), eight of which are on the road. A nine-game stretch at home from May 26 - June 3 will be the only time the team stays in the same city for multiple series' until the end of this brutal stretch, when they finish with a six-game home stand.
The good news is the competition the Brewers face should not be overly fierce. The beginning will be the roughest as Milwaukee still has the Pirates, Braves, and Orioles on the docket for May, along with the Marlins, who are currently second in the NL in runs scored.
Then they'll move on to the Cubs, Mets, Twins and Diamondbacks along with the Rockies, Reds, Pirates and Nationals. A little easier.
April was supposed to be the toughest month for the Brewers coming into 2014. But they handled the Pirates, Cardinals, Red Sox and Braves pretty well all-in-all. After all, they do have the most wins in the majors (tied with the Rockies) and still hold a multiple-game lead in the NL Central.
So, I mean, it's probably dumb to worry too much about playing a bunch of baseball in a short time. If the Brewers can handle April as well as they did, they can handle this. Ramirez will get a nice rest before coming back, Braun's had 15 days to take a break, two recent days off should start the bullpen fresh. Even Carlos Gomez will have a few days soon to relax a bit!
It'll be a tough road, but, hey, it's baseball. There are a lot of games to play. The Brewers may have to actually use Wei-Chung Wang, though.
