Notes: Brewers move Wily Peralta to the bullpen

SAN DIEGO - Wily Peralta's role with the Milwaukee Brewers is changing in a big way, effective immediately.

Manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday, two days before Peralta's next scheduled start in Chicago, that the right-hander is being shifted to the bullpen. Peralta's replacement for that start will be announced Thursday. 

"It’s something that it’s kind of time for, we think," Counsell said. "There’s a lot of ways that we think this could help us and help Wily. There’s obviously important innings available in the bullpen, and I think right now his skills will play really well down there and help us down there as we go on this season.

"It’s a big change for him, and it’s not easy to make that transition during the season. But we’ll get him in there and I think he has a chance to be real good at it."

In eight starts (40 innings), Peralta was 4-2 with a 6.08 earned-run average, WHIP of 1.55 and 32 strikeouts. He went just 4 1/3 innings in each of his last two outings, and he allowed a season-high-tying six earned runs against the New York Mets on Sunday.

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Of Peralta's 121 career major-league appearances, 120 of them have come in a starting role. His major-league debut April 22, 2012 was a one-inning relief appearance against the Colorado Rockies.

With that in mind, Counsell said Peralta's transition to reliever will be a gradual one. While he could be used in an emergency situation in Thursday's series finale with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, Peralta is more likely to see his first action out of the bullpen this weekend in Chicago.

"It’s a transition," Counsell acknowledged. "It’s how you recover. Getting ready faster is a big one. The phone rings, the faster you can get ready the more useful it is for us, obviously.

"So we’re going to have to give him a little advance warning as we start this thing. But I think he’ll adjust quickly."

Asked about Peralta's eventual role in the bullpen, Counsell said he'll be an "out-getter."

Peralta's replacement Friday could be right-hander Paolo Espino, who was scrubbed from his scheduled start Wednesday for Class AAA Colorado Springs. Espino is 4-0 with a 2.54 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 40 strikeouts in seven starts (39 innings).

It could be a one-start stint for him, as well, with Junior Guerra nearing a return from the disabled list. He has one more rehab start scheduled for Saturday at Class AA Biloxi. 

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"Certainly Junior coming back, we hope that’s going to happen at the end of next week," said Counsell. "But we’ve got to get through another step with Junior. It’s more, really, about how we’re going to get the most out of our guys here and as we go there are big innings down in the bullpen.

"We’ve got to be prepared down there, we’ve got to be covered down there. We’ve asked a lot of those guys so far and they’ve done a very nice job."

Peralta is 46-50 with a 4.29 ERA in his Brewers career. He was named Milwaukee's opening-day starter in 2016 but was optioned to Colorado Springs in mid-June after a 4-7 start and spent nearly two months there before being recalled.

He went 3-4 with a 2.92 ERA in 10 starts for the Brewers down the stretch and finished with a 7-11 record and 4.86 ERA.

With a fastball capable of reaching the high 90s and a sinker that can consistently get ground-ball outs, the hope is Peralta will benefit from being able to pitch all-out for shorter periods and hopefully jump-start his career six years in. 

"To me, it’s kind of a reset to the season for him," Counsell said. "It’s a point to start over. And we think it’s something that he can be really good at. That’s one of the big things. The other thing is, we’re winning games, and we’re trying to find ways to win more games.

"And we think Wily can help us win more games down there."

Reset button: Eric Sogard's starting assignment at second base Wednesday night served a dual purpose – it kept a hot hitter in the lineup and gave a struggling one in Jonathan Villar a break.

Villar, 0 for 9 in the series, was hitting .210 with five home runs and 21 runs batted in. He was the only Brewer to have played in all 40 games entering Wednesday, with 38 starts.

"I think Jonny needs a break. Just to chill out, relax, watch the game, enjoy himself a little bit," said Counsell. "He’s played a lot. He’s played in every game. We’ve got a guy swinging the bat well in Eric, so it really works out well and I think it’ll do Jonny some good."

Villar singled in a pinch-hitting appearance in the eighth, sending a line drive back through the box that came within inches of hitting reliever Brad Hand squarely in the head.

Third baseman Travis Shaw returned after a two-game absence caused by a finger injury, while first baseman Eric Thames missed his third straight game with strep throat.

Thames did make a little progress by taking batting practice on the field before the game, but based on his pregame comments he might miss the entire four-game series.

"It's getting better day by day, which is good," said Thames, who appeared on deck in the ninth inning but ultimately made way for Nick Franklin. "But I feel weak. I feel like I haven't played in a month."