The Milwaukee Brewers have placed left-handed relief pitcher Angel Zerpa on the injured list because of tendinitis in his left forearm. The team announced the move on Wednesday, and it was made retroactive to Sunday.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Zerpa’s injury could be more serious than first expected. Before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Murphy explained that Zerpa may be out for a while and is not expected to return soon.
To fill his place on the roster, Milwaukee promoted left-handed pitcher Brian Fitzpatrick from Triple-A Nashville.
Zerpa, 26, has struggled this season. He currently has a 0-2 record with a 6.39 ERA in 12 appearances. He gave up earned runs in each of his last three games. His most recent outing came during a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, where concerns arose after his pitching velocity dropped.
Catcher William Contreras noticed something was wrong during that game, which led to Zerpa being removed before the inning ended.
Murphy said Zerpa will undergo more medical testing and seek a second opinion to better understand the injury.
Zerpa joined the Brewers in December after being traded from the Kansas City Royals. Milwaukee acquired him in exchange for outfielder Isaac Collins and pitcher Nick Mears.
The Brewers bullpen is already dealing with injuries. Left-handed pitcher Jared Koenig is also sidelined with an elbow injury and is not expected to return until late May or early June.
Fitzpatrick, also 26, has performed very well in Triple-A this season. In 10 relief appearances for Nashville, he posted a 1-1 record with a 0.00 ERA, striking out 11 batters while allowing only two unearned runs in just over 10 innings.
In another roster move, the Brewers sent outfielder Luis Matos to Nashville after he cleared waivers. Matos, 24, struggled during his short time in Milwaukee, batting .200 with a .238 on-base percentage in nine games this season.