Milwaukee Brewers reliever Will Smith will have his sore right knee examined by a physician on Friday. Credit: Roy Dabner for the Journal Sentinel

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Mesa, Ariz. — The plan of Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell to close victories was thrown into jeopardy Friday with the news left-hander Will Smith was having his swollen right knee examined.

There was no word later in the day on the results of Smith's examination. Counsell said the team probably would made an announcement Saturday.

"It's a little concerning because there's swelling in the knee and we have 10 days to go (before opening day)," Counsell said.

The left-handed Smith, who has been brilliant with seven scoreless outings in Cactus League play, experienced soreness in the knee after pitching Thursday in a minor-league game to get work. He still had swelling Friday morning, leading to the decision to be examined.

"It happened after he pitched yesterday, so we're going to have to have a doctor see him," said Counsell. "Then we'll know more. It wasn't while he was pitching."

Counsell previously announced he would not name a primary closer before the start of the season. Instead, he said he would use both Smith and right-hander Jeremy Jeffress, both of whom served as setup men last season for Francisco Rodriguez, who was traded to Detroit in November.

Jeffress only recently started pitching in games after missing a few weeks with a hamstring strain. He likely would get the bulk of the closing action at the outset of the season if Smith is sidelined.

Smith, 26, was one of the best setup men in the National League last season. In a team-high 76 appearances, he went 7-2 with a 2.70 ERA, with 91 strikeouts in 631/3 innings. His strikeout ratio of 12.93 per nine innings ranked fourth among NL relievers.

"Will is an important part of our team," said general manager David Stearns. "That's clear. He has been one of the best relievers in baseball for the last couple of years. We still expect him to carry a big workload for our team this year.

"We'll see how these tests come out, what the doctor's evaluation is, and we'll go from there. We do feel like we've got some depth in camp. Obviously, we don't have a ton of guys of Will's quality and experience and proven track record. But we do have some arms we're excited about, so we'll see what happens."

Although Jeffress has pitched in only three exhibition games (three scoreless innings), Stearns said there was confidence he would be completely ready for the season.

"J.J. has progressed well," said Stearns. "Our expectation is he is going to be ready to go when opening day gets here."

Jeffress, 28, also is coming off a strong season. In a career-high 72 appearances in 2015, he was 5-0 with a 2.65 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 68 innings.

Right-hander Corey Knebel has not been used as a closer in his 56 appearances in the majors, including 48 with the Brewers last season. He has experience in that role in the minors, recording six saves for Class AAA Colorado Springs in limited action in 2015.

Right-handers Michael Blazek and Tyler Thornburg also are slated for spots in the bullpen. Smith is the only left-hander who was assured a job thus far, but veteran lefties Chris Capuano and Franklin Morales are still in the running. Veteran right-hander Blaine Boyer also is in the mix.

The Brewers have decisions to make on Boyer by Sunday, Morales by Monday and Capuano on Tuesday to offer them spots on the roster or allow them to become free agents.