Brewers' rotation takes another hit - but will it actually slow them down?

Thanks to the Chicago Cubs struggling to find their feet and the Milwaukee Brewers going on the kind of run that is rarely ever seen, it feels like the NL Central race is effectively over. However, if fans are looking for any sign of optimism, the Brew Crew did suffer a bit of a blow this weekend. The question is whether a team that looks like a juggernaut will allow anything to knock them off kilter at this point. Can they even withstand the loss of another starting pitcher in Logan Henderson?

So far, the answer to that question is yes. However, should the hurler (who was placed on the IL this weekend) be out for any extended period, could that help expose an Achiles' Heel? At some point, the Brewers have to slow down. At some point, something will affect them, surely.

Chicago Cubs fans have to wonder if anything will bother the Milwaukee Brewers

The Chicago Cubs, now out a full six games from first place in the NL Central, are no longer anywhere near controlling their own destiny. They're going to need to find the kind of pace they were on in May, and they'll need the Brewers to falter.

Henderson is another young pitcher who has absolutely dominated since being called up by Milwaukee, going 3-0 with a 1.78 earned run average in five starts. He's also got 33 strikeouts in 25.1 innings pitched. However, he was diagnosed with a flexor strain in his elbow on August 9. While the Brewers are optimistic his injured list stay will be short, it could be serious even if it's not the nightmare scenario of damage to the UCL.

"On the short side, it's like throwing in a week. Not full-blown, but throwing. On the long side, it's a couple weeks of rehabilitation and then a throwing program progression," manager Pat Murphy said before his team's game with the New York Mets on Saturday night, August 9. "Flexor strains – that's what Nestor (Cortes) had, and it was a long process."

Tobias Myers got the start in place of Henderson on Saturday, and while he wasn't all that good, it didn't matter as the Brewers' bats picked him up and the team still won the game, 7-4.

For now, Milwaukee not missing a beat despite one injury after another to its pitching staff is the nightmare scenario for the Chicago Cubs. The Wrigley denizens need to hope something eventually will knock their division rivals off pace to have any chance of getting back into the NL Central race.