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Following today's game, we received an update on Carlos Gomez:
#Brewers will place Carlos Gomez on DL. Has small defect or tear in hamstring. Got cortisone shot.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) April 16, 2015
Gomez originally injured his hamstring in yesterday's game against the Cardinals. He flew back to Milwaukee for further evaluation today, which revealed the damage to the hamstring.
This is bad news for the Brewers, but isn't necessarily disastrous. A small tear could mean a short DL stint, but we don't know the expected time out just yet. Also, the Brewers have a very capable backup for center field in Gerardo Parra, who would most likely become the everyday center fielder until Gomez returns. As a gold glove outfielder, the Brewers wouldn't lose much on defense going down from Gomez to Parra. Replacing his bat would be tougher, especially for a struggling offense.
The other question in regards to this is who the Brewers will bring up to fill Gomez's roster spot. Elian Herrera is having a hot start to the season in Triple-A Colorado Springs, batting .433/.500/.733 in 30 AB. However, he's not on the 40-man roster, so the Brewers would have to make an additional roster move to bring him up. Depending on how far away Jim Henderson is from returning, the move could be as simple as transferring him to the 60-day DL. Otherwise, the Brewers would need to expose someone to waivers to clear a spot.
Another option is outfielder Shane Peterson. He's batting .375/.444/.708 in 24 AB so far for Colorado Springs, and is on the 40-man roster so the Brewers would not have to make an additional roster move. The Brewers could also elect to just bring up a bat for offense and not an additional outfielder. If they do that, then Luis Sardinas (.417/.462/.500 in 24 AB), Jason Rogers (.360/.429/.640 in 25 AB), and Matt Clark (.242/.242/.515 in 33 AB) are also options. With the Brewers struggling on offense, a bat for the bench would be an appealing option.
It's not time to panic yet, at least not until we get more information. If Carlos Gomez is only out for a minimum DL stint, the Brewers have enough options in house to get by until he returns. If it's longer, that could be trouble for the Brewers.