Early signs have been encouraging since Corey Knebel rejoined Brewers' relief corps
When Corey Knebel returned from a 10-day “break” from pitching in the major leagues, Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell wasted no time getting the former closer into action.
Knebel pitched on his first day back with the club. And the second day. And the third day.
Why the hurry to get Knebel back in action? Counsell realizes how important it is to have Knebel as a reliable part of a well-used bullpen that could prove the difference in getting the Brewers back to the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
“We’re going to need big outs from guys down there,” Counsell said. “I think it changes a lot. We all know that. It changes a lot with him throwing the ball well. It’s important to know we’ve got three more outs covered.”
The three consecutive outings upon Knebel’s return couldn’t have gone better. Given the ninth inning of a 9-4 victory Sunday in Washington, he pitched a perfect inning, recording two strikeouts, as if he never had been gone.
Knebel was thrust into a more tense situation Monday against Chicago, getting the final out in the eighth inning after Anthony Rizzo’s two-run homer off Josh Hader gave the Cubs a 3-2 lead. The Brewers would rally to win that thriller, 4-3, on Christian Yelich’s run-scoring fielder’s choice grounder in the ninth.
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Knebel was given more breathing room Tuesday, pitching the seventh inning with a 6-1 lead in a game the Brewers would win, 11-1. But he was no less impressive, striking out the side on 14 pitches.
In all three outings, Knebel pounded the strike zone with a high 90s (mph) fastball and devastating, sharp-breaking curve. In short, he looked like the closer who dominated hitters in 2017, posting 39 saves with a 1.78 ERA in 76 games, with 126 strikeouts in 76 innings.
“That’s the Corey we know,” Hader said. “When he has his location, the guy has nasty stuff. He can come in and shut guys down with his heater and curveball.”
Knebel, 26, literally never got his feet under him at the outset of this season. In his third outing on April 5 against the Cubs at Miller Park, he suffered a badly strained left hamstring that sidelined him for five weeks.
Since returning to action, the 6-foot-4 Texan has experienced ups and downs, with clean innings few and far between. The command of his curveball, in particular, became erratic, leaving Knebel to fend off hitters primarily with his fastball. And even a high-octane fastball is going to get hit if opponents can lock in on it.
Knebel struggled through July, posting a 5.25 ERA over 12 outings. Things got worse in August, with an 8.64 ERA in nine games with six walks in 8 1/3 innings. And nothing gets a late-inning reliever in more trouble than issuing walks.
The inevitable finally happened Aug. 9, when Knebel was summoned to protect a 4-2 lead in the ninth against last-place San Diego at Miller Park. He walked the bases loaded and allowed a run-scoring infield hit before departing. Rushed into the game, Joakim Soria surrendered a grand slam before exiting with a groin strain in a disastrous 8-4 defeat.
Things got only marginally better in Knebel’s next four outings, during which he allowed four runs over 3 1/3 innings. Finally, for both the good of pitcher and team, the decision was made to give Knebel a “break.” He was optioned to Class AAA Colorado Springs, though he stayed with the Brewers for several days to work with pitching coach Derek Johnson and bullpen coach Lee Tunnell on getting mechanically sound again.
Knebel made only one appearance for the Sky Sox, pitching a scoreless inning, before rejoining the Brewers and getting tossed immediately into the fray.
“I love what Corey has done in the couple of innings since he’s been back,” Counsell said. “It’s a real good, positive sign for us.
“He has thrown the ball very well. That’s really encouraging. He should be encouraged, and I think he is. We’re all encouraged by what we’ve seen so far.”
For the first three months of the season, led by all-stars Jeremy Jeffress and Hader, the Brewers’ bullpen carried the team, ranking among the best in the majors. Then, things began to unravel. Matt Albers hurt his shoulder, then a hamstring, and has not been the same since. Taylor Williams started to scuffle (9.49 ERA in second half), Knebel reached his crisis point and Soria went on the disabled list, and suddenly the depth of high-leverage arms thinned considerably.
Now, the relief corps is closer to full strength, with the addition of left-hander Xavier Cedeño adding another matchup weapon. Whether Knebel returns to ninth-inning duty this season remains to be seen. Knebel likely will enter 2019 in that role, but there’s enough quality depth at this stage for Counsell to pick and choose according to the situation. Jeffress, for one, has experience in final-inning duty.
“Corey is going to help us a lot; we count on him,” Soria said. “Sometimes, what you need is to step back a little bit, then go after it. We didn’t forget what he can do. He’s one of the reasons why we are here.
“He’s a great pitcher, and he’s going to help this team a lot. I’m happy that he’s performing as he used to. Hopefully, he stays like that for us, and for him, too.”
No matter how much success a player has had in the big leagues, there is a drop in confidence during extended down periods. But Knebel appeared to have some swagger back in his recent appearances, a very good sign for the Brewers.
"It's great to be back doing what I can to help the team," he said. "This team has a lot of fight. It's great to be part of that.
"We have plenty of weapons for (Counsell) to go to in the bullpen, and still give some guys days off. We just have to keep everything going, and we'll be fine. We're going to keep fighting. I love it."