Junior Guerra named Brewers' opening day starter
PHOENIX - Junior Guerra added another chapter to his incredible story Saturday.
Nearly a year to the day since the right-hander was optioned to minor-league camp after 5 2/3 innings of unremarkable relief, he was named the Milwaukee Brewers' opening day starter by manager Craig Counsell.
"He pitched really well last year," said Counsell, whose team kicks off the season April 3 against the Colorado Rockies at Miller Park. "I know he has a different story, but for his (121 2/3) innings (last year) he was really one of the better starters in the National League. At this point, he’s pitched really well.
"That’s what it boils down to."
Guerra, 32, traveled quite an unusual and circuitous route to get to this point.
The first player acquired by general manager David Stearns when he was claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox on Oct. 7, 2015, Guerra spent the first 10 years of his career bouncing around the minor leagues, independent leagues and even pitching in Mexico, Spain and Italy before finally finding a foothold.
"At first you've got to thank God," Guerra said through translator Carlos Brizuela. "It's been a really long journey. I'm grateful for the opportunity and I've just got to keep working hard and get ready for the season."
He pitched three games out of the bullpen for the White Sox in 2015 before the Brewers added him to their 40-man roster. He came to major-league camp last spring as a reliever, and after posting a 7.94 ERA in four appearances was sent out to start games for Class AAA Colorado Springs.
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Guerra made four starts before being recalled to replace the struggling Taylor Jungmann in the Brewers' rotation and ultimately became one of the team's most reliable starters with Zach Davies. Using an effective split-finger fastball, Guerra went 9-3 with a 2.81 ERA in 20 starts while striking out 100 and posting a WHIP of 1.13.
Guerra posted 12 quality starts out of his 20 turns, going 7-1 with a 1.66 ERA in those outings. The Brewers were 14-6 behind him overall.
Right elbow inflammation sent him to the disabled list for three weeks in early August, not long after he'd become a hot name in trade rumors. He returned to make three starts in September, going 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA to close out the season on a positive note.
Guerra is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in four starts (10 innings) this spring. He has struck out six and is limiting batters to just a .121 average while posting a WHIP of 0.70.
Guerra was scheduled to make his fifth start Saturday afternoon against the Chicago Cubs at Maryvale Baseball Park, but the Brewers instead sent him to make a start in a minor-league game.
"It’s just the fact that he’s going to be facing (the Cubs) a lot this year at the beginning of the season, and as the length gets into these games (count-wise), it’s to be able to control it a little bit and make sure he gets the final steps of preparation," Counsell said of Guerra, who gave up a pair of homers in the outing.
Guerra becomes the fourth different opening day starter in the last four years for the Brewers, joining Yovani Gallardo (2014), Kyle Lohse (2015) and Wily Peralta (2016).
He said he'd never before started an opening day at any level that he could recall.
“Now I’ve got the opportunity here, and I have to be real thankful,” said Guerra. “There was a point I thought I was done playing. I got the support from my wife (Erika). She told me to keep going. Keep working hard and the opportunity will come.”
While Counsell said earlier in camp that both Guerra and Davies were guaranteed spots in the rotation, he wouldn't commit to the order after Guerra. Assuming Davies is No. 2, that would leave Peralta, Jimmy Nelson, Matt Garza, Chase Anderson and Tommy Milone battling for the final three spots.
"The players are going to make it a hard decision, and that's what you want," Counsell said. "There's performance, there's health. But the great thing is these guys understand, 'Hey, I've got to get ready for the season.' They're veteran enough to understand that it's out of their control to a certain extent, and they're controlling what they can."
Thames progressing:Eric Thames was back in the lineup against the Cubs after being scratched Thursday with right knee soreness. He wanted to get back in the lineup because after a slow start he was swinging the bat better, including a homer and single last time out against the Cubs.
"It was just a little tweak,” Thames said. “Spring training soreness.”
After three years in Korea, where pitchers don’t throw as hard, Thames had to adjust to major-league velocities. He said that took a few games but now he has caught up.
“It’s just getting my timing down and using it as a springboard into the season,” he said. “It feels normal now. The first week, it seemed the ball was going 10 mph faster. Now, it’s the same.”
Thames had been so immersed in finding his swing that he hadn’t noticed that opening day is two weeks from Monday. But he figured the timing was good because you want to be hot at the end of camp, not the beginning.
“You have to ride the waves,” he said. “It doesn’t count here. I’m feeling a lot better. I’m ready to put on that real uniform.”
