Brewers' Pitching Problems Multiply as Dave Bush Heads to DL

Ever since CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets left Milwaukee via free agency, questions about starting pitching have hounded the Brewers. Could they replace their two aces? Could they compete without them? Yovani Gallardo has been great at the top of the rotation this year, striking out nearly a batter an inning to go with his 3.00 ERA, but behind him the rotation is in shambles. Manny Parra was demoted to Triple-A last week and Tuesday, the Brewers learned they're going to have to put Dave Bush on the disabled list with a small tear in his triceps.

It might seem that this move, which leaves Braden Looper and Jeff Suppan as the best two starters behind Gallardo, would precede some kind of trade, but a major league source told FanHouse Tuesday night that the Brewers don't expect Bush to miss much time, and while he's on the DL, they'll try to get by with Mike Burns,who is taking Bush's rotation spot on Thursday.

With Burns in Bush's spot, that likely leaves Seth McClung to come out of the bullpen on Saturday to fill Parra's spot. Burns has been very good with Triple-A Nashville and McClung has been great out of the bullpen, but a quintet of Gallardo, Suppan, Looper, Burns, and McClung hardly seems like a rotation that's headed for any sort of postseason play and it could be a long two weeks in Milwaukee while they wait for Parra to straighten himself out and Bush to come off of the disabled list, if that's the rotation they're planning on going with.