How the mighty have fallen – the Milwaukee Brewers have sent former closer Corey Knebel to the minors.
Last year, Milwaukee Brewers reliever Corey Knebel had established himself as one of the better closers in the game. He came out of nowhere to post a 1.78 ERA and a 1.158 WHiP, striking out 126 batters in 76 innings. Knebel notched 39 saves, and made his first All Star Game. With his presence at the back of the Brewers potentially dominant bullpen, the ninth inning appeared to be safe.
However, this year, Knebel struggled. He was injured at the early part of 2018, and just never regained his form. Knebel lost the closer role to flamethrowing lefty Josh Hader, and has now lost his spot on the Brewers major league roster.
Brewers have optioned Corey Knebel to Colorado Springs and Zach Davies to Wisconsin, according to the transactions page. Eagle-eyed @Todd_Rosiak noticed Knebel was missing from the active roster. https://t.co/PGfTaB29NI
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) August 23, 2018
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This season has been a dramatic change from what 2017 had been. Knebel has posted a 5.08 ERA and a 1.333 WHiP, striking out 55 batters in 39 innings. His 12.7 K/9 is over two strikeouts down from last season, while opponents have a an OPS 216 points higher this season. His regression has been sudden.
And yet, the Brewers should have expected that he would not be the same player he was last season. Prior to 2017, Knebel had produced a lifetime 4.03 ERA and a 1.342 WHiP over his 91.2 innings. Opponents had .734 OPS against him in those first three seasons, a number far closer to this season than his .568 mark from 2017.
Fortunately, the Brewers have built impressive depth in their bullpen. Knebel’s struggles have hurt, but having the likes of Hader, Jeremy Jeffries, and the soon to return Joakim Soria makes a dramatic difference. The Brewers, when healthy, can still cut games down to a six or seven inning affair with their bullpen.
Of course, the goal will be to get Knebel right. He would likely return once the rosters expand in September, giving the former closer just over a week to get right. Maybe the mental break is all he needs, or a minor mechanical tweak to get back on track. Or, maybe Knebel needs to go away from his fastball, considering that the opposition is bludgeoning the heater.
Corey Knebel will be back with the Milwaukee Brewers. Whether or not he can be successful upon his return is another story.