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Brewers’ injuries continue piling up

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The springtime injuries keep piling up for the Brewers.

“I’m afraid to walk to my car,” left-handed pitcher Randy Wolf said.

Monday against the San Francisco Giants, two more Brewers were hurt: outfielders Logan Schafer (thumb) and Chris Dickerson (intercostal muscle).

Dickerson’s injury initially looked awful. In the fourth, he violently collided on the base path with huge Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval. Both went down and took some time to get up. Sandoval stayed in the game, but Dickerson had to leave.

“Thank God Sandoval lost 30 pounds or that might have been a decapitation,” Wolf said. “I thought he dislocated his shoulder. It sounded bad.”

The Brewers rallied for six runs—five earned—off former Brewer Jeff Suppan and went on to win, 12-8, in front of 11,686 at Scottsdale Stadium.

Jeremy Reed hit a three-run homer in a six-run fifth inning for Milwaukee, and Brandon Boggs added s solo shot in the seventh.

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said he thought Dickerson would be OK, but the manager sounded unsure about the status of Schafer, who hurt his thumb sliding into Miguel Tejada’s shoe. X-rays are scheduled.

Both joined a long, long list of Brewers who have been banged up this spring. Shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt (quad) and centerfielder Carlos Gomez (back stiffness) were withheld against the Giants for precautionary reasons, but Roenicke was optimistic they would play again soon. Ryan Braun (intercostal) played Monday and was excused after two planned at-bats.

Still, the sight of players going down every day is wearing on the skipper.

“Yes, it is,” he said. “I’m used to injuries, but we just keep having them all the time. It’s bothersome.

“Corey (Hart) is progressing. (Jonathan) Lucroy looks really good. That’s great. (Zack) Greinke is coming around fine. But the more we keep playing, the more they see guys going down all the time. It’s like I don’t want to put on signs because I don’t want to get anybody hurt.”

Wolf pleased

Wolf made his third start and gave up three runs in the third inning on a triple and three consecutive doubles, but he was very happy with his outing.

Wolf didn’t walk any of the 19 batters he faced.

“A huge step forward,” he said. “I told (pitching coach) Rick (Kranitz) I was going to give him $50 a walk from here on out because I was tired of walking guys. For me, it’s throwing strikes with all my pitches.

“Today, I had that inning where I didn’t throw the fastball where I wanted and made a few bad location pitches with it. Other than that, I felt really comfortable throwing the ball where I wanted to.”

Looking for a No. 5

Before the game, Roenicke said it would be a big day for Mark Rodgers in the search for a No. 5 starter.

The Brewers need to accommodate the loss of No. 1 Greinke for a couple of dates in April.

Rodgers gave up two runs on three hits, including a long homer to Sandoval, in one inning in his spring debut.

“He just didn’t look like he was comfortable,” Roenicke said. “He worked really slow. A little too methodical.”

Rogers, 25, a first-round pick for the Brewers in 2004, has battled shoulder problems for most of his pro career. The Brewers are trying to make a decision between Rodgers, Wily Peralta and a few minor leaguers for the temporary fifth spot.

“We can’t count that Rogers is going to be one of those guys,” Roenicke said. “Peralta, I liked what we saw (Sunday). Still, experience-wise, we’re pushing it if he’s going to be the guy.”

A big right-hander, Peralta, 21, has never pitched above Class AA.