Cubs pitcher Colten Brewer fractures non-pitching hand after punching dugout wall
"He let emotions get the best of him," said Cubs manager Craig Counsell
Colten Brewer has had a rough season thus far for the Chicago Cubs. The right-hander made it even rougher by knocking himself out of the lineup by punching a dugout wall.
Brewer was placed on the 60-day injured list on Sunday with a fractured left hand, The Athletic's Patrick Mooney reported. That is Brewer's non-pitching hand, which is probably fortunate. But catching and fielding the ball with a broken hand is surely difficult, if not ill-advised.
Chicago Cubs reliever Colten Brewer is going on the 60-day injured list with a fractured left hand after punching a wall in frustration during yesterday’s loss at Wrigley Field.
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) July 7, 2024
The injury occurred during the Cubs' 7–0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday. Brewer relieved Kyle Hendricks in the third inning and allowed five of the first six batters he faced to reach base, resulting in two runs scoring. He couldn't finish the inning — he was pulled after hitting Nolan Schanuel with a pitch. The next opponent Brewer faced was the Cubs' dugout wall.
"My intention wasn't to break my hand," Brewer told reporters on Sunday. "I'll get frustrated and make mistakes. That's no excuse. There's a lot I can prove out there, that I'm willing not to do stuff like that. Emotions get the best of us sometimes."
In 2/3 of an inning, Brewer allowed three runs (one earned), two hits and two walks. That pushed his season ERA up to 5.66 with 24 hits allowed and 22 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings.
"When those things happen, you know you screwed up," said Cubs manager Craig Counsell. "That was the conversation. Then there’s consequences for the mistakes you make. It’s an unfortunate mistake and he let emotions get the best of him. It’s not who he is, but it’s a mistake that he made. You have to move forward past that."
Brewer is in the midst of his sixth major league season, previously pitching for the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. He has a career 5.66 ERA this season, averaging 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
To take Brewer's place on the roster, the Cubs called up pitcher Hunter Bigge. In 11 appearances with Triple-A Iowa, he has 19 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings with a 1.36 ERA.