Brew Crew gone Blue Crew

Just when you began to buy stock in the Milwaukee Brewers to take the NL Central by storm this season after the team addressed the need of some quality pitching, their rotation takes a hit. Similar to the division foe St. Louis Cardinals who will be without their ace Adam Wainwright due to season ending surgery, the Brew Crew is experiencing early ailments of their own. As we've known for quite some time now, the Brewers' biggest offseason acquisition came after the team traded for Kansas City's ace and former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke. However, the most recent developments regarding their newest investment can't bode well with the Brewers front office.

While playing a game of pickup Basketball, Greinke leaped for a rebound and fell to the hardwood, injuring his ribs in the process. What was first reported as a minor injury, became a bit more concerning when Greinke tried throwing from a mound. After making two Spring Training starts, the discomfort in Greinke's left side continued, resulting in an MRI which later revealed a crack in one rib and a bruise on another. Currently on the team's 15-day disabled list, the 2009 Cy Young Award winner isn't expected to take the mound until the end of the month, delaying his Brewers debut. In place of Greinke who's two years removed from his league leading 2.16 ERA, will be Yovani Gallardo who's stellar 2010 campaign led to his first career All-Star appearance.

The Brewers' pitching woes didn't end there as Shaun Marcum who also came over in the offseason to help give Milwaukee's pitching staff a face lift, experienced tightness in his right shoulder. As for concern, Marcum is downplaying the injury. Last season after inheriting the no. 1 spot in the Blue Jays rotation formerly held by Roy Halladay, Marcum finished with a career year, despite missing the entire 2009 season due to Tommy John Surgery. Though he won't be counted upon to finish with a Cy Young type season like his counterpart, Marcum could very well be just as key to the Brewers success as Greinke. Luckily for the state of Wisconsin, Marcum isn't expected to hit the disabled list. The month or so without Greinke won't doom the Beer Makers completely, but it could've prevented a possible late season surge in the standings like the one the Cincinnati Reds finished the 2010 season on, assuming Milwaukee is atop the division.

With their most prized acquisition injuring himself playing pickup basketball of all things, if I'm Brewers skipper Ron Roenicke, I'm wondering what in the world our multi-million dollar pitcher is doing playing basketball. Sure nowhere in Greinke's contract does it list not having the right to play basketball, but unless you're playing horse with the guys, it's common sense to save the pickup games for the offseason. Or even NBA Jam for that matter. Besides, how do you even hurt yourself coming down with a rebound without landing on someones foot? My guess is he was trying to prove Wesley Snipes wrong in the movie 'White Men Can't Jump'. Either that or had Chuck Taylor's on...