Brewers closer Corey Knebel made an unplanned exit during the seventh inning of Saturday’s Cactus League contest against the Rockies. Postgame reports revealed that the reliever had slipped on the wet mound and tweaked his left knee, though club manager Craig Counsell said the pitcher’s removal was simply precautionary. Knebel won’t take the mound for several days and is considered day-to-day pending further evaluation.
The 26-year-old righty is on the cusp of his fourth season with the Brewers. He enjoyed his first All-Star run in 2017, capping a career-best performance with a 1.78 ERA, 4.7 BB/9 and 14.9 SO/9 through 76 innings. This spring, Knebel has yet to flash that dominance in limited Cactus League action, surrendering four runs on three hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings so far.
Thankfully for the Brewers, it doesn’t look like they’ll lose their star closer for any prolonged period of time. Counsell told reporters that Knebel was already scheduled for a couple of off days next week and will reassess the situation after he undergoes treatment on Sunday.
