Milwaukee Brewers: Ryan Braun likely headed to DL
By Brad Faber
The Milwaukee Brewers’ star outfielder may soon be making a trip to the disabled list.
Since the start of May, Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun has played in only three games. He has reportedly been dealing with both calf and forearm injuries.
According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Braun recently had an MRI on the calf strain as well. Though it is not yet official, it appears likely that he will be making a trip to the DL due to the pair of injuries.
#Brewers Ryan Braun said he had MRI on calf strain. Asked about severity: “It’s known. I think we’ll probably have more tomorrow."
— Tom (@Haudricourt) May 11, 2017
More Braun: “I can’t really run or throw. Hopefully, if I get little bit of down time I’ll be able to get back to full strength.” So, DL.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) May 11, 2017
Braun has spent his entire career with the Brewers. He won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2007 and the NL MVP in 2011. Braun, of course, missed the majority of the 2013 season with a PED suspension, but returned to put up solid numbers in both 2014 and 2015. Last year, Braun quite arguably had his best season since 2012, hitting .305/.365/.538 (135 OPS+) with 30 home runs and 91 RBI.
The 33-year-old outfielder is signed through 2020 with a $15 million mutual option ($4 million buyout) for the 2021 season, according to Baseball-Reference. Despite all of the trade rumors regarding Braun, particularly those involving a potential swap with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he remains a member of the Brewers for the time being.
Braun’s Big Role in the Brewers’ Offense
The Brewers have gotten off to a very respectable start in 2017 and currently find themselves sitting in third place in the NL Central with a record of 18-17. The Brewers’ offense is currently tied for first in MLB with 55 home runs. Milwaukee ranks second in the game with a .458 slugging percentage, trailing only the Washington Nationals.
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Although the biggest story out of Milwaukee has most likely has been the power surge of Eric Thames, Braun continues to be a major part of the offense as well. Through 27 games played, Braun has hit .287/.374/.574 with seven home runs and 18 RBI. Losing Braun for any amount of time would clearly leave a big hole in the Brewers’ lineup.