Some good news on the Zack Greinke front.
Brewers manager Ron Roenicke told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this morning that Greinke played catch yesterday for the first time since being shut down with a fractured rib earlier this month. Specifically, Roenicke said that Greinke “felt great” and “the pain is gone.”
It’s nice to hear he’s making progress, but Greinke will essentially have to start from scratch with his throwing program. As such, Roenicke said last weekend that it’s unlikely he’ll be ready to return by April 16, a date which was previously considered the best-case scenario. Now they’d probably be thrilled to have him back by the end of April.
With Greinke sidelined, the Brewers are expected to decide between Marco Estrada or the newly-acquired Sergio Mitre to fill the void in their starting rotation. The club won’t need a fifth starter for the first time until April 6 against the Braves.
