Brewers place All-Star SP Freddy Peralta on IL with shoulder inflammation

The Brewers announced they placed right-hander Freddy Peralta on the 10-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. Reliever Hoby Milner was recalled from Triple-A Nashville to take his active roster spot.

Peralta left Wednesday night’s start against the Cardinals after just two innings due to shoulder discomfort. He downplayed the issue postgame, telling reporters (including Adam McCalvy of MLB.com) that he expected to be able to make his next scheduled start. That obviously won’t be the case, but there’s no indication he’ll require much — if any — time more than the minimal 10 days on the shelf.

The Brewers can afford to err on the side of caution. Wednesday night’s win over St. Louis and the Reds’ loss to the Cubs pushed Milwaukee’s lead in the NL Central out to nine and a half games. The Brewers are a very good bet to hang on to a division title, so there’s every reason to play things safe with a pitcher who’ll surely be lined up to start one of their Division Series games if healthy.

Peralta flashed promise in a swing role between 2018-20, but he’s taken his game to new heights this season. The 25-year-old has finally locked down a permanent spot in the rotation and pitched to a brilliant 2.45 ERA across 121 1/3 frames, earning an All-Star nod. That innings total is already the second-highest of any year in his career, trailing only the 141 1/3 frames he logged between Triple-A and the majors in 2018. A brief IL stint can serve to keep his workload in check heading into the season’s final couple months.

Among hurlers with 100+ innings pitched, only Carlos Rodón, teammate Corbin Burnes, Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer have a strikeout rate superior to Peralta’s 34% clip. Between Burnes, Peralta and Brandon Woodruff, the Brewers figure to enter postseason play with one of the game’s most fearsome playoff rotations.