John Curtiss has a torn UCL, Brewers activate Justin Topa and Hoby Milner, Angel Perdomo to IL in bullpen shakeup

Things didn’t look good when trainers walked John Curtiss off the field during last night’s game against the Chicago Cubs, and now we have validation of what was feared at the time — Curtiss tore his UCL and will be done for an extended period of time.

The team officially made the announcement Wednesday afternoon.

Curtiss hasn’t looked sharp since the time he got to Milwaukee, which makes you wonder how long this injury may have been lurking.

In a limited sample size, his velocity was down about a full mile per hour with the Brewers compared to his time with the Marlins this season. It’s tough to call that a clear warning sign, though, since that may have also just been usual midseason wear-and-tear on a reliever that has been used frequently.

For what it’s worth, the trade hasn’t paid immediate dividends for the Marlins, either, as Payton Henry is just 2-for-20 in his first 7 games with Triple-A Jacksonville, striking out in 9 of his first 24 plate appearances.

If there’s good news, it’s that Justin Topa is back after his own elbow injury scare, and if he’s back to 100%, he’ll likely slide into many of the situations we saw Curtiss in. Topa has been very good during his rehab outings, only allowing 2 runs in 9 innings of work.

Angel Perdomo is also landing on the injured list, leading to Hoby Milner hopping back on the shuttle from Nashville. At the very least, the Brewers will have a couple of fresh arms if Wednesday night’s game in Chicago ends up getting played.