Was Jacob Misiorowski's Injury A Blessing In Disguise For Surging Brewers?

Typically, the news of a rookie phenom hitting the injured list would be a blow to a first-place team's confidence. But just about everything seems to be working out in the Milwaukee Brewers' favor these days.

Starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday, retroactive to Jul. 31, after he took a 103-mile-per-hour line drive from the Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki directly to the shin earlier this week.

The All-Star has already had a couple of injury scares in his seven starts in the big leagues, and the Brewers would obviously hate to lose him for any significant period. However, not only did they win his scheduled start on Sunday with minor league call-up Logan Henderson on the mound, but one baseball writer believes this stint on the injured list could be a blessing in disguise.

On Monday, Gabe Lacques of USA Today made the case that Misiorowski's trip to the injured list would benefit the team in the long run.

"While The Miz is hardly a luxury item, if you can avoid bringing Gucci luggage on a camping trip, why not?" wrote Lacques. "After all, when the Brewers placed Misiorowski on the IL, seven of their next 10 games would come against the last-place Nationals, the 46-63 Atlanta Braves and the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates.

"When he returns, Misiorowski’s first two starts would be against the wild-card contender Cincinnati Reds and those second-place, 64-46 Cubs, part of a five-game series at Wrigley Field that marks the last meeting between the teams this season. And Misiorowski’s 96 ⅔ innings pitched this season almost exactly matches his professional high of 97 ⅓ innings, reached last year."

Central to Lacques' argument is the fact that despite the shin contusion, Misiorowski has continued throwing. He really only seems to be on the IL at the team's behest, because no pitcher wants to take a few starts off when they're rolling and feel healthy enough to take the ball.

The Brewers certainly have a talented rotation even without Misiorowski, but the 23-year-old is a special talent. Whatever they have to do to make sure he's primed and ready for October baseball is what should come first for the rest of the regular season.