NL Central update: Carlos Gomez, Neil Ramirez, Kris Bryant

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez has been sent back to Milwaukee for tests after injuring his hamstring in Wednesday's game in St. Louis:

As manager Ron Roenicke just noted, Carlos Gomez's hamstring is bad enough to be sent to Milwaukee to be examined, so a bad sign.

— Tom (@Haudricourt) April 16, 2015

Noah Jarosh has all of the details at Brew Crew Ball:

The injury occurred late in the Brewers' 4-2 loss, when Gomez ran out a fielders' choice in the ninth inning. The Brewers almost immediately ruled him out for Thursday's game.

Gomez has gotten off to a slow start in 2015, batting .235/.257/.441 through his first eight games. Thankfully, there won't be a loss in defensive quality as Parra is among the best outfield gloves in the game and was named a finalist for a Gold Glove in 2014 despite being a part-time player.

Gerardo Parra is taking Gomez's spot in center field for the Brewers for today's game with the Cardinals, and would likely get the bulk of the playing time there if Gomez were to go on the disabled list. Shortstop Jean Segura is hitting leadoff for Milwaukee today in place of Gomez.

NL Central News & Notes 4/16:

• Chicago Cubs reliever Neil Ramirez will undergo an MRI on his right shoulder after leaving last night's game against the Reds after just three pitches, according to ESPN Chicago's Jesse Rogers. Ramirez has made five appearances for Chicago this season, allowing one run in three innings.

• If the Cubs do need to make a roster move with Ramirez, Rogers reports that they will re-evaluate their roster, weighing whether to continue with eight relievers in the bullpen or to call up another position player, with third baseman Kris Bryant in the mix if that is the route they decide to go. Fellow righty Brian Schlitter could pick up Ramirez's innings in the short term.

• Levine: Lockdown Bullpen Getting Job Done For Cubs -- CBS Chicago
  "The early success of the Chicago Cubs has been the result of timely hitting, big home runs, decent-if-not-outstanding starting pitching and, perhaps most of all, a rock-solid bullpen."

• Three-headed monster: Why the Cubs catching plan still centers around Montero, Ross…and Castillo -- Cubs Den
  "The Cubs front office is about winning games on the margins. They can read a stat sheet, they know Castillo had better numbers than Montero and Ross last year, but the Cubs veteran catchers are not here for their numbers. They are here as part of a plan to take this team to a different level, to help change the culture from one that focuses on individual numbers to one that focuses on doing those seemingly little things that add up."

• The Kris Bryant case and Reds service time - Red Reporter
  "...the extension signed by Cueto that still has him as the ace of the Reds may not have come to fruition had he been held back, there's no denying that the Reds probably wish they'd dragged an anchor on Leake's arrival time just long enough to where he'd be around in 2016."

• Reds recall Pedro Villarreal, option Josh Smith - Red Reporter

• Is it too early to panic about Mark Melancon's velocity? - Bucs Dugout
  "Pitchers often gain velocity over the course of the season, and Melancon has, in the past, sometimes started slowly. But his 2015 velocity is off-the-charts low..."

• Pirates release Jonathan Sandfort - Bucs Dugout
  "Sandfort was only 17 when the Pirates drafted him. He's yet another piece of evidence that these high-upside high-school pitchers often don't work out. The Bucs also recently released Zack Von Rosenberg, their top high-school arm from the 2009 draft, after he failed to develop."

• Looking at the hitting profile of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong - Viva El Birdos
  "Despite a successful rookie campaign which placed him third in National League Rookie of the Year voting, it was clear that there were portions of Kolten Wong's game that needed refinement going forward, with getting on base more consistently near the top of that list."

NL Central standings 4/16: