Reliever Brent Suter left off Brewers' roster for NLDS because of mild right oblique strain

Already missing setup man Devin Williams after he fractured his hand in an off-field incident, the Milwaukee Brewers lost another reliever before their National League Division Series when it was announced Friday that left-hander Brent Suter was out with a mild right oblique strain.

Manager Craig Counsell said Suter began feeling some discomfort during his final outing of the regular season Sunday in Los Angeles.

“He experienced some symptoms of an oblique strain on a couple pitches in that game,” Counsell said. “We were hopeful that we’d get him back. We gave him three days off and had him throw yesterday.

“It’s not ready yet. We’re confident it will be ready if we get to the next round, but he needs a little bit more time.”

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Suter, 32, was a valuable member of the bullpen, going 12-5 with a 3.07 earned run average in 61 outings, second behind Brad Boxberger’s 71 outings on the club. In 73⅓ innings, he allowed 72 hits and 24 walks while logging 69 strikeouts.

Suter was particularly effective against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .215 batting average. His absence left the Brewers with two lefties in the bullpen – closer Josh Hader and rookie Aaron Ashby. The other lefty is Eric Lauer, who served more as a starter during the regular season.

Most of the pop in Atlanta’s lineup is right-handed, so it probably doesn’t hurt to lose Suter as much as it might have otherwise. He was replaced on the NLDS roster by right-hander Jandel Gustave, with the Brewers going with 11 pitchers.

“It’s a lineup with more righties,” Counsell said of the Braves. “So, I’m very comfortable with who we’ve got. We feel like we have some relievers who are very effective getting left-handers out, some right-handers.

“They’ll obviously be used in those situations. So, I feel good about it.”

The only other roster decision that could have been considered even a mild surprise was the inclusion of Luke Maile as a third catcher behind Omar Narváez and Manny Piña. Counsell noted that allows using Piña as a pinch-hitter during a game without being vulnerable behind the plate.

“Luke, probably the best thing he’s done, he’s shown us an ability to handle late-game catching situations,” Counsell said. “So, I have full confidence in putting him in if the game plays out in a way where if he’s catching the ninth inning, or the eighth and ninth inning, really happy with Luke Maile catching.

“The other thing is it allows us to be more flexible in how we use Manny as much as anything, or a catcher as a hitter (off the bench).”

It marks the first time Maile has been included on a postseason roster.

"Very proud of it," Maile said. "Excited for the opportunity we have here, excited to be a part of it. Even to play the small part that I have is an honor and is really cool, and I can't wait to get after it."