With the season surely lost, the Milwaukee Brewers will have to make a decision whether to shut down starter Michael Fiers for the year or allow him to keep pitching.
There are certainly pros and cons for both scenarios as it will be up to the Brewers management to figure out which one is the best. By allowing Fiers to keep pitching, it will give him valuable experience that he will need for next season. On the other hand, if he somehow got injured in the last couple weeks of a season that is already in the gutter, Milwaukee will take plenty of heat for not shutting him down sooner.
Fiers has posted back-to-back rough outings after going nine consecutive starts with only allowing two runs or fewer. The right-hander failed to get an out in the third inning against the lowly Colorado Rockies after surrendering eight earned runs on nine hits in two innings pitched. The start raised his 1.80 earned run average to a still respectable 2.63. Against the Philadelphia Phillies last Friday, Fiers gave up four earned runs on five hits in five innings for his second consecutive loss.
Every young pitcher is expected to have bad outings but another concern is the amount of innings he has pitched. Fiers has gone out and tossed the baseball for 87 innings this season, which is still at a reasonable count but with six weeks left, he is in position to pitch the most innings in his career. Milwaukee has to decide if they want to overwork one of their upcoming stars in a season that simply does not matter.
For now, the Brewers appear to be contempt with letting Fiers pitch and have no intentions of shutting him down yet. That of course could change over the next week or so depending on how well he does on the mound. If his starts are anything like the last two they might have to consider sitting him down in order for him to remain mentally stable to pitch in the future.
If I were the Brewers, I would allow him to keep pitching for now. This is a good time for him to gain valuable experience in starts that do not have the pressure of the division on the line. Fiers will be able to calmly go through his routine and pitch the way he wants without worrying about making mistakes. At this point in the season, the Brewers are playing for next year. That means getting their young guys who could potentially make a difference on the roster next season some valuable playing time.
Buy Milwaukee Brewers Tickets | Buy Milwaukee Brewers Apparel
