Brewers’ Capellan placed on restricted list

 

MILWAUKEE (AP) -The Milwaukee Brewers placed disgruntled reliever Jose Capellan on the minor league restricted list Wednesday after he failed to report to Triple-A Nashville for the past two games.
The Brewers said Capellan will not be paid for the games he missed Tuesday and Wednesday.
General manager Doug Melvin said he has talked to Capellan’s agent, Bill Rego, who assured him that the pitcher would return in time for Thursday’s game. Rego did not immediately return a call or e-mail from The Associated Press.
Melvin said Capellan’s attitude hasn’t been a problem when he’s been with the team in Nashville, but his behavior will definitely be a factor when the Brewers are considering players they might call up in the future.
“His attitude when he was in uniform and everything was fine,” Melvin said. “It’s not a matter of him being a problem that way. I think what happened is when you’re not at the ballpark there’s a lot of spare time that he’s thinking about (his situation).”
The right-hander was 4-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 61 appearances for Milwaukee last season, but was left off the Brewers’ 25-man roster at the end of spring training. So far in Triple-A he has appeared in five games. He is 1-0 in 6 1-3 innings of scoreless work, allowing two hits, four walks and striking out eight.
When Capellan, 26, learned of his demotion just before the Brewers’ first game, he mentioned to teammates he might retire before telling Rego to demand a trade.
But Melvin said he’s having difficulty fulfilling Capellan’s wish because teams are offering very little in return at the moment. The Brewers have said repeatedly that the best way for Capellan to be recalled or traded is to continue pitching well in Nashville.
Capellan, who spent all of last season on the major league roster, lost a three-way race for the last roster spot in spring training. That job went to right-hander Greg Aquino, who blew a lead Tuesday night in an 11-5 loss to Cincinnati.