--3B Bill Hall suffered a partial tear of his left calf muscle during a personal workout before the start of spring training. The initial prognosis was that Hall would miss four to six weeks, covering most of camp. In his absence, Mike Lamb, Craig Counsell, Casey McGehee and Mat Gamel are expected to see action in exhibition play at third base.
--RHP Braden Looper will join the rotation after signing a free agent deal just before the start of spring training. The addition of Looper probably will bump RHP Seth McClung back to long relief. McClung shuttled between the bullpen and rotation last season. --RHP Nick Green was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels to provide more depth at Class AAA Nashville. Green, 24, pitched last season at Class AAA Salt Lake, where he went 8-8 with a 5.32 ERA in 28 starts.
Green has two minor league options remaining, which was a big reason why the Brewers made the claim. They needed to bolster their second line of pitching at the Class AAA level.
--RHP Luis Pena was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for RHP Nick Green. He was subsequently claimed by the Mariners. Pena, 26, experienced control problems last year at Class AAA Nashville, going 2-3 with a 6.93 ERA and 15 saves in 52 appearances. He allowed 54 hits and 47 walks, striking out 49.
"He does have a good arm," GM Doug Melvin said. "You always worry about giving up on good arms, but right now our bigger need is starting pitching."
--C Vinny Rottino, designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for the free agent signing of RHP Braden Looper, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Class AAA Nashville.
--RHP Ben Sheets, who became a free agent after the 2008 season, decided to have elbow surgery when he received no acceptable offers on the market. Because Sheets will not be ready to pitch until the second half of the season, if then, the Brewers will receive no draft-pick compensation when he signs with another club. If a Class A free agent doesn't sign elsewhere before the June draft, his former club loses the compensation of two high draft picks.
BY THE NUMBERS: 199 -- Innings pitched by RHP Braden Looper in 2008, more than any of the returning starters in the Brewers rotation.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's really like trading Pena for Green. We had a need for starting pitchers. And we felt a number of people were ahead of Pena." -- GM Doug Melvin, explaining the reasoning for claiming RHP Nick Green off waivers from the Angels and designating RHP Luis Pena, a reliever, for assignment.
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