Miller rests shoulder
Yost decides not to let catcher risk further injury
With one-quarter of the season complete, aches, pains, bumps and bruises are becoming commonplace in the Milwaukee Brewers clubhouse.
Veteran catcher Damian Miller was held out of the lineup for the second consecutive game Sunday due to soreness in his right shoulder.
"It's better than it was (Saturday), but it's still a little sore," Miller said. "It's just a little tendinitis. It's sore near the bicep. Some days it's good and some days it's sore. I could play through it, but Ned (Yost) wanted to give me two days off in a row. Hopefully, I'll be ready to go (tonight)."
Before the game, Yost said Miller was available to pinch-hit. "We're in the middle of May," he said. "It's something we're trying to knock out now. If it was September, he'd be playing."
When Yost did not insert Miller to bat for slumping Chad Moeller in the top of the 10th inning, it became apparent that Miller wasn't available. "We're trying to nip it in the bud," Yost said.
Miller, 35, said he expected to be examined by team doctors either Sunday night or today. Asked if he might receive a cortisone injection to reduce the soreness, Miller said. "That's up to the doctors. But I wouldn't mind. That's not a big deal. My plan is to play 115 or 120 games this year.
"I've been telling people that I feel better now at 35 than I did when I was 25. I feel stronger. My legs feel stronger. I feel great."
Rightfielder Geoff Jenkins, bothered by soreness in his right leg, served as the Brewers' designated hitter for the second consecutive day.
"It's been bugging me for awhile now," Jenkins said. "It's good to get a rest, but I hate DH-ing."
Third baseman Russell Branyan has been bothered by a sore right shoulder. Unlike Miller, who experiences more discomfort while throwing, Branyan feels soreness when he swings.
"As a result of it, it makes him get under a lot of balls," Yost said. "That's why he's hitting a lot of towering fly balls. He's getting under them."
Work in progress: Miller's sore shoulder meant a second straight start for Moeller, whose 0-for-5 performance included three strikeouts and dropped his batting average to .098 (5 for 51).
Yost said that Moeller has shown improvement during batting practice sessions, but "hasn't been able to transition it to the games.
"He knows what he wants to do," Yost said. "He does it real well in batting practice. He just needs to carry it over. He's not near as bad a hitter as he's shown."
