Healthy Saito could give Brewers bullpen a boost

MILWAUKEE -- Last week in Chicago, Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash compared getting a healthy Takashi Saito back and pitching like he has the past two seasons to trading for a reliever. On Friday, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke agreed with that assertion and said the veteran could take on a big role.If Saito can find his old form and stay healthy, Roenicke said he is capable of taking on a key role in a bullpen that has faced plenty of inconsistency."If we can get him back in a seventh inning or the eighth inning role, I think it would be like adding another good piece to what we're doing," Roenicke said Friday.Saito, 41, has been on the disabled list since April 11 with hamstring tightness and later a strained oblique, suffered during a rehab appearance. After a recent rehab outing, Saito reported soreness in the oblique but pitched Thursday without incident.Pitching with Triple-A Nashville, Saito threw one scoreless innings with one strikeout and just 11 total pitches. Roenicke said Saito then went to the bullpen to get more pitches in for an effective rehab outing and reported no pain afterward."It went well for him," Roenicke said. "It was all positive."Saito will next pitch with Nashville on Sunday and, depending on the results of that outing, again on Tuesday before being evaluated for a return to the major league club.The Brewers' bullpen this season has dealt with seemingly endless injuries and rotating roles so Roenicke hopes Saito can take on a consistent late-inning role. Roenicke said he has been happy with the way the bullpen has pitched through injuries and struggles, but sees room to get better."I think it could be improved," Roenicke said. "I think some guys have been good and kind of in and out of that role in the sixth and seventh inning, but we haven't had anybody that is just a lights-out guy there."With recent inconsistency from Marco Estrada and setup man Kameron Loe, Saito could very well grab hold of a major role in the team's late inning strategy, but much will depend on how he bounces back from almost three months away from the majors.In each of the past two seasons, Saito has made 56 appearances and posted ERAs of 2.43 and 2.83, respectively. The Brewers signed Saito in the offseason to a one-year contract worth about 1.75 million guaranteed and more with appearance incentives. He has pitched just twice in 2011 for a total of two innings with a 9.00 ERA.