Notes: Counsell believes Josh Hader's early workload was unsustainable for full season

Tom Haudricourt | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

ST. LOUIS – If it seems as if all-star reliever Josh Hader hasn’t pitched much of late, that’s because he hasn’t.

Hader hasn't pitched since throwing two innings a week ago Saturday in the Brewers' 4-2 victory in Atlanta. He sat out two games in Chicago as well as the first two games of the series against St. Louis.

Because manager Craig Counsell saves Hader for situations when the Brewers are ahead by a small margin or tied, the 24-year-old lefty hadn’t pitched for eight days. The Brewers were off Monday and Thursday, won 7-0 on Tuesday in Chicago and lost, 8-4, there Wednesday.

The Brewers never led or were tied in the late innings of the first two games against the Cardinals, losing 5-2 and 7-2.

The sagging Brewers have not won nearly as often in recent weeks as earlier in the season, so Hader had pitched just four times in August and only eight times since the all-star break. But Counsell said there was no physical reason for Hader’s decreased activity.

Overall, Hader had pitched 39 times for a total of 58 1/3 innings.

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“What happened was when we started the year, the games worked out where, frankly, he was on an unsustainable pace,” Counsell said. “He was on about a 100-inning pace (through the first two months). And it looked really cool like, ‘Wow, he can do this.’ But he wasn’t going to be able to keep it up.

“The games kind of played out in a way where it was every two or three days, we could get him in for multiple innings. There have been less games like that. The games haven’t sequenced like that as we’ve moved on in the season. Look at the games.

“Like every other reliever, there have been days he has been sore but nothing out of the ordinary. He’s never been unavailable (when needed). We’re certainly getting to the point where we’re going to get him in a game. But it’s not a bad thing that he has a week (of rest). That’s a good thing for the rest of the year. Josh pitched in the All-Star Game. He didn’t get that rest.

“The pace we were on early in the year, he was fine with it but I believe it would have worn him down if the games would have kept on that pace.”

On the flip side, pitchers don’t like having long periods of inactivity because it is more difficult to stay sharp. Hader said he was making sure to stay on top of his mechanics to avoid that from happening.

“Obviously, I love to pitch but through these times when I don’t pitch too often, I still get on the mound and make sure my delivery is sound,” Hader said. “We can’t control what the game is like each day. I have to prepare myself so that when I do get a chance, I’m ready.

“I can’t control when I get in. I just prepare myself so I’m ready each day.”

Another rehab for Davies: Right-hander Zach Davies will make one more rehab start Wednesday, this time for Class AA Biloxi, as he continues his recovery from back issues. Davies' allotted rehab time will expire after that, meaning the Brewers have a decision to make as to whether he’d be activated or take another course of action.

“We’ll wait to decide what’s next,” Counsell said. “It’s kind of open-ended. I still think Zach needs to pitch and get out there. His health has been a struggle this year. He needs to be out there every five days. I think he’s getting to a better place but I don’t think he’s there yet.”

Davies does have minor-league options remaining, and another option would be to keep him on the DL and pitch in simulated outings if not placed on the Brewers’ roster.

“We’ll be close to Sept. 1 (and expanded rosters) at that point,” Counsell said. “He’s got to replace somebody on the staff (if activated before that date).”

Though Davies struggled with his command in his last outing for Class AAA Colorado Springs, walking five in 3 2/3 innings, he said it was the first time he felt no discomfort in his back while pitching.

“That was the first time I threw pain-free, with the back,” he said. “The shoulder has been fine for a while. This time, I didn’t have sharp pain in the back. The soreness and tightness is afterward, and in between starts, so that’s easy to let the back relaxed and loosen up.”

Davies, who has made only eight starts for the Brewers while dealing with health issues, said, “It’s been a tough year, even since spring training with the mild oblique strain. It’s frustrating because during the offseason I felt I had changed my strength and conditioning program to something a lot better. I felt like I made good strides, then this happens. It’s kind of discouraging.

“I don’t know what they have planned. I haven’t heard anything about it. It’s been kind of a step-by-step thing.”