Shaun Marcum feels soreness in his elbow while playing catch

Shaun Marcum initially downplayed the tightness in his right elbow and hoped to return as soon as he was eligible this weekend, but it’s increasingly clear that won’t happen.

According to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Marcum acknowledged that he still felt soreness in his elbow while playing catch this afternoon.

“Still sore,” Marcum said shortly afterward. “Going to shut it down until it gets better, I guess. A little bit (better). Some of (the soreness) could have been 10 days without throwing, some of that stiffness and stuff in there. Hopefully it goes away and we’ll be good to go.”

Marcum missed the entire 2009 season following Tommy John surgery, but recent tests ruled out any structural damage in the elbow. However, he has compared his current soreness to an injury back in 2010 which caused him to miss a start. While he remains hopefully that his absence will be brief, he isn’t against resting through the All-Star break if necessary.

The Brewers might be in decent shape if they decide to play things safe for the next two weeks, as rookie Michael Fiers has a 2.78 ERA in five starts and Marco Estrada is set to return from the disabled list tomorrow.