ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Wade Miley is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a muscle strain in the back of his throwing shoulder.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell announced the timeframe before Friday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Left fielder Christian Yelich returned to the lineup after missing two games with back issues, and left-hander Eric Lauer — coming off his first relief appearance of the season last Sunday — will start or follow an opener on Saturday.

Miley went on the injured list Wednesday, one day after the injury originally thought to be a lat strain caused him to leave a game after throwing only 22 pitches. He underwent additional tests on Thursday.

Counsell said the muscle involved controls movement of the scapula and is not a common throwing injury.

“Because this is more unknown side, there's going to be some wiggle room there,” Counsell said of the recovery timeframe.

Yelich started Friday hitting .333 (16 of 48) with four homers and 12 RBIs in 13 games this month,

The 36-year-old Miley has posted a 3-2 record with a 3.67 ERA in eight starts this season. The Brewers signed Miley to a one-year, $4.5 million contract in January that gives Miley the opportunity to make an additional $1.5 million in incentives and includes a $10 million mutual option for 2024.

Elbow inflammation and a strained throwing shoulder limited Miley to nine games with the Chicago Cubs last year, where he went 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA.

Miley’s injury was the latest setback for a Brewers rotation that already was missing two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff, who has made just two starts this season. He hasn’t pitched since April 7 due to a shoulder issue.

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