rewrite this title Brewers place All-Star righty Misiorowski on 15-day IL

The Brewers announced this morning that they’ve placed right-hander Jacob Misiorowski on the 15-day injured list due to a left tibia contustion, retroactive to July 31. Right-hander Logan Henderson was recalled to replace Misiorowski on the active roster.

Misiorowski was expected to start Sunday’s game against the Nationals, but instead will head to the shelf. That the right-hander’s injury doesn’t involve his arm is surely heartening news for fans in Milwaukee, but it’s nonetheless worrisome for such a key piece of the club’s recent surge to miss any time at all while the team is locked in a heated division race with the Cubs. The Brewers have more wins than any other team in baseball, but they’re just two games up on Chicago in the NL Central. Any amount of time missed by such a talented arm will be a blow, but if Misiorowski misses only the minimum, he could be back on the mound for the club’s series opener against the Reds on Aug. 15.

The Brewers are surely hoping that the injury will prove to be a minor one. The rookie was somewhat controversially named an All-Star this year despite having just five appearances in the majors under his belt prior to this year’s All-Star game, but he’s done everything in his power to justify that honor with a 2.70 ERA, 3.10 FIP and an absurd 36.4% strikeout rate in 33 1/3 innings of work. Misiorowski’s huge strikeout numbers are somewhat balanced out by a 10.9% walk rate, which is quite elevated for a starter, but his overpowering stuff (which includes a fastball that averages 99 mph on the radar gun) is more than enough to make up for those pitfalls when it comes to control.

Misiorowski isn’t the only injury of note the Brewers have suffered in recent days. Star outfielder Jackson Chourio is on the injured list due to a hamstring strain and might not be back until September. Another major piece of the club’s outfield puzzle, Sal Frelick, was pulled from Friday’s game due to knee soreness in what the Brewers described (according to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) as “precautionary.” With Chourio and Misiorowski out of commission for the time being and Frelick’s status uncertain, the Brewers are looking very banged up after a quiet trade deadline that saw them add only backup catcher Danny Jansen from the Rays and injured right-hander Shelby Miller of the Diamondbacks while trading away starter Nestor Cortes Jr. in a deal with the Padres.

With Misiorowski headed to the shelf, Henderson figures to start Sunday’s game in his stead. The 21-year-old made his big league debut earlier this year and has looked quite good in four spot starts with the club. He’s posted a 1.71 ERA and a 3.05 FIP in 21 innings of work at the big league level this year while striking out 35.8% of his opponents, though a 3.59 ERA and 27.9% strikeout rate in 16 appearances at Triple-A is slightly less impressive. Regardless, Henderson will have the opportunity to further establish himself as the next man up in a crowded rotation mix that has sent arms like Chad Patrick and Tobias Myers to Triple-A as depth.