Zach Davies not ready to rejoin Brewers' rotation; reliever Boone Logan activated from DL

DENVER - The tentative plan for right-hander Zach Davies to come off the 10-day disabled list and rejoin the Milwaukee Brewers' starting rotation here has been scrapped.

Davies, on the DL with rotator cuff inflammation, cut short a bullpen session Wednesday at Miller Park after about 10 pitches when the shoulder didn't feel right. Instead of being inserted into the series against the Rockies, he will bide time until the shoulder feels strong enough to try again.

"Midway through my bullpen, it just didn't feel right," Davies said Thursday afternoon. "It wasn't worse than anything I had the last week but wasn't where I wanted it to be. I didn't want to continue throwing on it when I know that taking a few days off would be best for it."

A couple of off days on the schedule allowed the Brewers to skip Davies' last turn in the rotation. With the news that he wasn't ready to return, right-hander Brandon Woodruff was recalled from Class AAA Colorado Springs to start Friday night against Colorado.

The Brewers will have to send out a player to add Woodruff to the roster.

Davies, who is 2-3 with a 4.24 ERA in six starts, said he wasn't overly alarmed about the development yet but said he was "disappointed" not to be able to rejoin the rotation. There were no plans for further tests on the shoulder. 

"I knew it hadn't improved enough to throw here," he said. "I'll just take it day by day right now and see how it checks out. I'll take another couple days off, then start a throwing program and see how it feels. Maybe I started up too soon.

"It is disappointing because it was progressing and you want to spend as little time on the DL as possible. My level of concern isn't that high because every-day stuff isn't a bother. It isn't something I think will keep me sidelined for a while."

This will be the third stint with the Brewers for Woodruff, who is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in five outings, including one start. No starter has been named for Sunday in the spot previously held by injured Wade Miley, but manager Craig Counsell said he had lefty Brent Suter penciled in for that game.

Suter replaced Miley when he left his Tuesday start against Cleveland with an oblique strain that Counsell expects to keep him sidelined for 6-8 weeks.

As for Davies' situation, Counsell said, "We've just got to give him more time. He's not ready to pitch. We put him on the DL so we could take time with this and we need more time.

Logan is activated: The bullpen, which has been the strength of the team this season, added another veteran arm Thursday when left-hander Boone Logan was activated from the 10-day disabled list.

To make room for Logan on their roster, the Brewers optioned reliever Jorge Lopez to Class AAA Colorado Springs.

Logan, 33, signed a free-agent deal with the Brewers over the winter and was slated to open the season in their bullpen, but he suffered a triceps strain near the end of spring training and went on the DL. After recovering, he was sent on a rehab assignment to Class AA Biloxi, where he pitched five times (9.00 ERA in three innings).

Logan moved up to Class AAA Colorado Springs and made one appearance, pitching a hitless inning with one walk and three strikeouts.

"I got plenty of games in, and had some long innings at times to test it out. Everything was good," Logan said.

Logan missed the second half of last season at Cleveland with a muscle tear behind his shoulder, so he has waited a long time to get back on the mound in a major-league game.

"Thinking back, it’s been since July since I’ve been in a big-league game," he said. "It was starting to drag out. I’m ready to get back to it; tired of waiting around."

The Brewers' bullpen is now back to full strength after closer Corey Knebel rejoined the team on Wednesday after missing five weeks with a hamstring strain. Counsell said his goal was to eventually work Knebel back into a late-inning role after using him for an inning in a 6-2 loss to Cleveland on Wednesday.

Even without Knebel and Logan, the Brewers' bullpen has excelled. Their composite 2.61 earned run average is second best in the majors, trailing only Arizona (2.45 ERA).

"That's probably another reason they didn’t rush me," Logan said. "The bullpen has been pretty solid. I’m happy to be a part of it and contribute."