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  • How Should Milwaukee Brewers Manage Freddy Peralta's Shoulder Injury Concerns?


    Tim Muma

    The health and effectiveness of Freddy Peralta will be imperative to the Milwaukee Brewers' success in 2023. GM Matt Arnold wisely built pitching depth this offseason in response to the club's injury issues a year ago, which included Peralta's two stints on the injured list. Still, taking care of the 26-year-old is critical, because none of the extra arms on the roster have his impact potential.

    Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

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    Freddy Peralta's value to the Milwaukee Brewers can't be overstated. The biggest questions for the team are, can they keep him healthy, and how do they accomplish it while getting the most out of his skill? Last season, the right-handed hurler missed more than two months with a right lat strain. Peralta returned to the club on August 3 to make seven appearances (31.2 innings) but left his September 8 start after two frames with "shoulder fatigue." That landed him back on the injured list (IL). 

    Though Peralta came back to pitch in three more contests before the season's end, he tossed just 7.2 total frames in them, while giving up seven hits and four earned runs (4.70 ERA). More concerning is that Peralta's shoulder problem began in 2021, making it a bit of a trend. Peralta left the August 18, 2021, game after an awkward swing at the plate. However, he admitted afterward that his shoulder felt "a little uncomfortable yesterday and a little bit today before the game." The two shoulder issues, coupled with the lat injury, must concern the Brewers, since the lat and shoulder are connected in their movements and effectiveness when throwing.



    Peralta brings tremendous value to the Brewers, posting 4.0 fWAR in 144.1 innings in 2021 and a 2.0 fWAR in 78 frames last season. That only tells part of the story. He's a vital bridge between Cy Young candidates Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff and the second half of the rotation. What can the Brewers do to get the most out of Peralta without stifling his impact or losing him for longer stretches? A few options could be in play:

    1 - Use a Six-Man Starting Rotation
    The Brewers mainly employed a six-man rotation in 2021, coming off the short 2020 campaign. Manager Craig Counsell and company were worried the sudden uptick in innings pitched from one season to another put arm health in danger. It worked beautifully, both in keeping pitchers healthy and in the staff's record performances.

    Getting Peralta (and others) at least five days of rest between starts instead of four could relieve the strain on his shoulder and lat. Making 26 starts and averaging 5.1 innings per outing would get Peralta to nearly 140 innings. If he's near his peak performance levels in those fewer starts with extra rest, the value will be there.

    2 - Plan for Short Starts
    It's difficult to judge if total innings or innings per outing have a more significant effect on Peralta's shoulder. The Brewers may prefer maximizing his number of starts but limiting the number of up-and-downs (times visiting and getting cold on the dugout bench, then having to ramp back up for a new inning).

    Milwaukee could plan for starts of three or four innings (or by pitches), planning to piggyback another multi-inning pitcher to follow Peralta. This gets Peralta through the top-middle of the order twice and allows him to hone his pitches over shorter periods. He would likely max out at 130 innings or so, but it could be best for the team and Peralta's long-term health.

    3 - Utilize Sporadic Extra Days Off
    The Brewers could also monitor Peralta on a start-by-start basis. In watching his velocity, command, and body language each time on the mound, Counsell and his staff can make decisions when needed.

    With Milwaukee's added pitching depth, Peralta could take seven or eight days off while the Brewers utilize a different starter or go with a bullpen day. This option creates more uncertainty in his schedule, but it offers the club a chance to let Peralta ride deeper when he's strong and recharge him when he appears to be losing something.

    4 - Move Peralta to the Bullpen
    There could be unique value in having an arm like Peralta's coming out of the pen, especially for multiple innings or in high-leverage situations. It would also clearly limit the amount of innings he would throw, both within a game and throughout the season. He could be the right-handed version of Josh Hader, utilizing him more frequently than as a starter and picking spots when he impacts the game the most.

    There are a couple of downsides. For one, there would be even more uncertainty with Peralta's usage daily. Maybe he doesn't get enough time to loosen up in the pen, comes in too early, and that hurts his shoulder. Plus, trying to bounce back more frequently is often more challenging than a five or six-day schedule. He's also been slightly less effective as a reliever in his career. Peralta has allowed a .667 OPS in relief (.619 as a starter) and owns a 1.29 WHIP out of the bullpen (1.09 as a starter).

    Regardless of when or where he is pitching, Peralta is a formidable weapon in the Brewers' arsenal. Though it was in a smaller sample size, Peralta sat in the 90th percentile in some key Statcast metrics in 2022. You can see why Milwaukee needs him as often as possible.
    Peralta 2022 Statcast.JPG

    Figuring out the best option for Peralta will have an influence on numerous pitchers and their usage throughout the season. Arnold's creation of pitching depth, including starters and multiple-inning relievers, gives Counsell various options, without painting the coaching staff into a corner. The Brewers have proven they are willing to strategize in unique ways and take whatever measures are needed to utilize the team's talent to its full extent. Peralta is both a special challenge and a perfect opportunity to continue doing so.

     

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    Tim Muma
  • Brewer Fanatic Contributor
  • Posted

    36 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

    Let's calm down a little, everyone. I did not take the slightest offense to Jopal's response to me, no one need be offended on my behalf.

    Let's stay on topic, please!

    I'd actually like to know why he considers this clickbait. How else can I learn to avoid it? And it's a bit "offensive" to have someone say that, especially since I don't believe in random "hot takes."

    I see clickbait as something sensational, misleading, and/or using inaccurate information intentionally. Not sure which apply here.

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    3 minutes ago, Tim Muma said:

    I'd actually like to know why he considers this clickbait. How else can I learn to avoid it?

    I see clickbait as something sensational, misleading, and/or using inaccurate information intentionally. Not sure which apply here.

    I'd also be curious about this, in no way was I trying to silence Jopal. I was speaking more directly to bickering than any specific opinion.

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    19 hours ago, Tim Muma said:

    Peralta has missed time due to his shoulder/lat (which are connected in the kinetic chain of throwing). 

    Just to add some extra detail to this, around the motion

     

    The Lat will be involved in a contraction phase, along with the rear deltoid and bicep on the preparation part of the movement, and in an extension phase (ie stretching out) as the shoulder, chest and tricep extend outwards in the throwing part of the motion. While the lat is engaged per se, the part of the motion that causes the damage is mostly the extension phase, a more explosive movement, and should be easily corrected through mobility exercises and some strengthening work.

    The shoulder affects so many different movements, the rear deltoids will work in tandem with the lats, but most of the strain comes through the front and side deltoids in the pitching motion. Most shoulder injuries actually come through the rotator cuff due to the stability of the joint always being under strain because of its involvement in so many  motions. I'd suggest it's highly likely the injuries aren't related as such, but the shoulder is definitely the one to be more wary of, as so many fibres connect around the rotator cuff, and it's tough to strengthen in the short term. Even after recovery, quite often the scar tissue can impinge upon the range of movement too

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    18 minutes ago, jakedood said:

    Just to add some extra detail to this, around the motion

    The Lat will be involved in a contraction phase, along with the rear deltoid and bicep on the preparation part of the movement, and in an extension phase (ie stretching out) as the shoulder, chest and tricep extend outwards in the throwing part of the motion. While the lat is engaged per se, the part of the motion that causes the damage is mostly the extension phase, a more explosive movement, and should be easily corrected through mobility exercises and some strengthening work.

    The shoulder affects so many different movements, the rear deltoids will work in tandem with the lats, but most of the strain comes through the front and side deltoids in the pitching motion. Most shoulder injuries actually come through the rotator cuff due to the stability of the joint always being under strain because of its involvement in so many  motions. I'd suggest it's highly likely the injuries aren't related as such, but the shoulder is definitely the one to be more wary of, as so many fibres connect around the rotator cuff, and it's tough to strengthen in the short term. Even after recovery, quite often the scar tissue can impinge upon the range of movement too

    Okay, so this is wayyyyy beyond my knowledge of the human body. Do you work in the field?

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    3 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

    Okay, so this is wayyyyy beyond my knowledge of the human body. Do you work in the field?

    A bit of a nerd when it comes to the gym, sports etc and kinetic movements so would have pretty strong knowledge of this and how different muscles work together. I've done some studying around the topic but not a true professional by any means

     

    In short, the muscles contracting (and therefore exerting force in a movement of the upper body)

     

    If you're pulling something towards you (hands getting closer to your body) then you're using your back muscles (traps, lats, rhomboids), rear deltoids and biceps predominantly

     

    If you're pushing something away from you (hands getting further from your body) then you'll be using your chest, front deltoids, side deltoids and triceps

     

    Your core and legs provide balance and momentum (and occasionally kinetic coil) for most upper body movements to try and ensure all the energy input to the motion is being transferred to output (in this case, ball velocity).

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    homer
  • Brewer Fanatic Contributor
  • Posted

    They talked about the Brewers rotation on the Rates & Barrels podcast last week. Mentioned they could potentially do some kind of 6 man deal since they have 6 legit starters possibly as a way to manage Freddy's innings and, to a lesser extent, Ashby's.

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