Brewers starter Zach Davies passes the test in minor-league rehab start

MINNEAPOLIS - Zach Davies's minor-league rehab start at Class A Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon was a good one.

The right-hander, who's been on the disabled list since May 3 with right rotator cuff inflammation, threw 56 pitches over 4 2/3 shutout innings, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out nine.

“(The goal was) to get back into a game situation, getting to throw all my pitches and get a decent pitch count in," Davies told reporters afterward. “Just to get back to the ‘game feel.’

“I had a good mix of everything today. I made sure I got that in. I didn’t want to leave anything out and not feel prepared for my next start. So I got a mix of everything, accomplished everything I wanted to (in terms of) pitch count, sequencing, everything.

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"It’s just up from here.”

Davies said he doesn't think he'll need another minor-league start before rejoining the Brewers. Whether that will be the case, and where he might slot back in, is still up in the air.

"We'll take stock when we get back home," manager Craig Counsell said. "We'll get past his bullpen day on Monday and make sure he's doing all right, and then kind of figure out the next step."

It was pointed out to Counsell that the Brewers were 6-2 on their 10-game road trip heading into Saturday's game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field having not gotten a start from either Davies or Chase Anderson.

"I think that's been a common theme on all parts of the roster throughout the season, and it's been a big reason why things have happened and why we've been able to not skip a beat so far," he said.

"We've done it on this road trip with the starting rotation, certainly, but we've done it in other places. Aguilar yesterday kind of picking up the slack in a place. So we've done it, to me, in lots of places on the team."

Up in the air: The Brewers haven't committed to a Wednesday starter yet, but Brent Suter could be an option to stick as he comes off his best outing of the season.

The left-hander posted season highs of 5 2/3 innings and six strikeouts and tied season lows with one run allowed and one walk in the Brewers' 8-3 victory over the Twins on Friday.

What stood out most about Suter's start was the success he had throwing his fastball. He struck out Brian Dozier and Byron Buxton twice each and Eduardo Escobar and Logan Morrison as well with fastballs that registered between 86-88 mph.

Suter said some extra cutting action made his fastball tougher to hit while Counsell credited location and pitch selection.

"His fastball was the pitch," Counsell said. "It was thrown up in the zone a lot. They were uncomfortable with it, even going through the lineup again. I thought he was going to his fastball in counts they thought offspeed was coming, and he kept going back to fastball. He sprinkled in the offspeed stuff in good spots."

Suter (3-3) also had the benefit of a full four days of rest coming into Friday. His previous start — a shutout loss in Colorado on May 12 — came on three days of rest after he'd registered a 4 2/3-inning stint in relief of Wade Miley, who was forced from his start with a right oblique strain after recording just one out in the first.

"I felt good physically, the whole time," Suter said. "I was happy with how I felt. Off the short rest in Colorado, I didn’t really feel that good physically. (Friday) I felt good, and it helped me keep my legs underneath me and get my pitches where I needed to."

Minor-league moves: The Brewers announced Saturday that right-hander Josh Pennington had retired and infielder Javier Betancourt had been released.

Pennington, 22, was one of four players the Brewers acquired from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Tyler Thornburg on Dec. 6, 2016. He pitched in a total of 10 games for the Brewers, nine of which were at Class A Wisconsin toward the end of last season.

Pennington said in a post on Instagram that he was facing a second right-elbow reconstruction. He underwent his first in 2014 while with the Red Sox, and had another right-elbow operation last season.

“Josh has put in a tremendous amount of work with our medical and rehab staff to return from several significant injuries," farm director Tom Flanagan said. "Unfortunately, he suffered another setback. We know this is a difficult decision, but we are fully supportive of Josh and wish him the best as he moves forward.”

Betancourt, also 22, was acquired from the Detroit Tigers along with catcher Manny Piña in exchange for Francisco Rodriguez on Nov. 18, 2015.

Betancourt suffered a gunshot near his left elbow in the off-season in Venezuela after hitting .243 with six home runs and 22 runs batted in over 107 games at Class AA Biloxi in 2017.