MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Brewers placed left-hander Brent Suter on the 10-day disabled list Friday with forearm tightness.
Suter first reported the problem after his most recent start, when he gave up five runs over five innings against the Twins. He informed the team's medical staff immediately, but when a few days passed and the situation didn't improve, the decision was made to put Suter on the shelf for at least one start.
"We tried our best to get it out of there," Suter said. "I saw the doc yesterday and he said there's a strain so we've just got to be cautious with it."
Brewers manager Craig Counsell acknowledged that forearm strains are often a red-flag type of injury; a precursor to something more series. But he was confident that in Suter's case, the situation was caught early enough that a bigger problem can be avoided.
"It's a minor injury," Counsell said. "I think you're always cautious when a pitcher has a forearm injury. At this point it's a minor injury, but it's important we don't let it become something big. So that's why we put him on the DL.
"Minor injuries happen. You want to make sure it stays a minor injury. There's no timetable to it. We've got to get him pain-free."
After bouncing back and forth between Triple-A Colorado Springs and Milwaukee last season, Suter earned a spot in the rotation out of spring camp and after a bit of a bumpy opening stretch, has been one of the Brewers' most consistent starters. The 28-year-old is 8-5 with a 4.53 ERA in 18 appearances this season, including two in relief, and had gone 7-2 with a 3.60 ERA in a nine-outing stretch before allowing nine runs over his past two outings.
"I was trying my best not to miss a start all year," Suter said. "That was my No. 1 goal coming into the season, so it's disappointing that way. But I've got to listen to the docs. They know what they're talking about."
Suter was slated to start Saturday when the Brewers continued their four-game series with the Braves at Miller Park. Instead, right-hander Aaron Wilkerson will get the nod. The 29-year-old is 2-2 with a 2.08 in eight appearances (seven starts) for Colorado Springs this season and pitched three innings of relief for the Brewers last weekend during a loss to the Reds in Cincinnati.
"He's online and he's ready to go," Counsell said.