PHOENIX — Milwaukee Brewers’ stand-out closer Devin Williams has been sidelined with a significant injury, he announced this week. Williams, who realized his back issue had returned during the beginning of Spring Training, has been diagnosed with two stress fractures in his T12 thoracic vertebra. The closer, instrumental in the Brewers’ climb to the NL Central title, reported feeling back pain last season but managed to pitch through the discomfort, attributing it to muscle soreness or tightness common in athletes.
The diagnosis by Dr. Robert Watkins was not unexpected, as Williams experienced a ‘big flare-up’ on the first day at camp which completely locked up his back. The athlete will now be shut down for an initial six weeks and faces an additional rehabilitation program following that hiatus. The entire recovery period could leave Williams out of play for approximately three months.
Despite the setback, Williams has a pragmatic outlook on his injury. He expressed that, in the grand scheme of his career, three months is not a particularly long time to be away from the game. Nevertheless, the Brewers will be without their Trevor Hoffman Award-winning reliever, recognized as the best in the National League in 2023, just as the new season begins.
Williams pushed through initial pain during this spring and even attended bullpen sessions in hopes of returning to his peak form. However, it became clear that something was amiss during his two Cactus League appearances, where
Source: MLB.com