Braun is having his thumb worked on again

[ewitkows]

St. Louis – Milwaukee Brewers rightfielder Ryan Braun will miss Wednesday's game with the St. Louis Cardinals after traveling to Los Angeles to have a cryotherapy procedure performed on his right thumb.

 

It will be second time Braun has undergone the treatment, which introduces subzero temperatures into a damaged nerve at the base of the thumb with a needle, and is again being performed by Dr. Vernon B. Willians. It was first performed last Oct. 2 after other treatments had failed over the previous two seasons.

 

Manager Craig Counsell said the decision to send Braun out for another treatment was pre-planned, which would help explain the team's moves earlier in the day to option starting pitcher Tyler Cravy to Class AAA Colorado Springs and recall outfielder Shane Peterson.

 

Peterson is in the lineup today in left field and Gerardo Parra will play right.

 

"He feels like this therapy that he gets, it significantly helps and gets him back to 100 percent," Counsell said. "And if we can keep him at close to 100 percent then we get the great Ryan Braun for 150 games. It apparently has a shelf life, I guess you could say, and we're kind of getting up on that shelf life.

 

"So we thought now was a good time – with the off day and the DH series (in Minnesota) – to do it."

 

Braun is hitting .258 with 12 home runs and 38 runs batted in this season, and had been named the National League's player of the month for May. He went 1 for 8 in the Brewers' first two games against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

 

As recently as a month ago, Braun had said emphatically that the thumb had not been bothering him. But Counsell said there had been signs recently that the benefit of the intial cryotherapy procedure had been wearing off.

 

"It's not a situation where he can't play. We've obviously seen that," he said. "But I think he just felt a little deterioration in it and the effectiveness of the therapy had kind of expired. So it's more, get him at 100 percent and not just get through it for the rest of the season-type thing."

 

With a five-year, $105 million contract extension due to kick in beginning next season, Braun's health is of the utmost importance to the Brewers moving forward. But Counsell said he's unsure if Braun will need to continually have the procedure done over that span in order to remain pain-free.

 

"I don't know the answer to that," Counsell said. "I think the chances are that he's going to have to deal with it. But that doesn't mean it's going to affect him, really. The point of this is that he thinks he can really manage it well, and that's what we're trying to do.

 

"We're trying to get him at his best for the next 100 games rather than get him at a percentage of himself than just a grind-through-it type of thing."

 

It's Counsell's understanding that the latest procedure would be enough to at least get him through the remainder of the season.

 

"Ryan feels really good and really confident about it," he said. "It's not something that's got him down or anything. He's really felt like it's really responded to it and he can get back to (normal) when it feels good."

 

Counsell is hopeful he'll have Braun for at least part of the Brewers' upcoming weekend interleague series with the Twins at Target Field.

 

"This is a minor thing, to me," he said. "It's just difficult with the roster, a little bit. It's a small day-to-day thing, and we know when he'll be back. To me it's Saturday or Sunday for sure. He's not even ruling out Friday, quite honestly, the way he's talking."

[monty57]

Well that diminishes all the recent hopes of Braun regaining his values as a great trade chip. The potential that the surgery has diminishing effects over time, and the 2014 Braun becomes the norm would be too much for me to trade for him.

[Boomer5]

Well that diminishes all the recent hopes of Braun regaining his values as a great trade chip. The potential that the surgery has diminishing effects over time, and the 2014 Braun becomes the norm would be too much for me to trade for him.

 

I agree. This removes any hope that Braun goes into the asset column going forward as far as tradability. We will now be stuck with him for the life of his deal. His on the field cant stay healthy issues now match his off the field PED stigma issues.

 

Im going to be sick.

[JohnBriggs12]

Why is anyone surprised by this? It was reported when he first had it that it would be temporary and he would need to repeat the procedure periodically. Brewers could have been more upfront about why he wasn't in today's lineup. Didn't hear anything about him being in LA until after the lineup was posted. I think he's rebounded rather nicely. He struggled just a bit the past week so the treatment was wearing off. No big deal. The week before he was NL player of the week.

 

Block reported on the pregame show, that he'd be back in there sometime in the Minnesota series.

[Boomer5]

Why is anyone surprised by this? It was reported when he first had it that it would be temporary and he would need to repeat the procedure periodically. Brewers could have been more upfront about why he wasn't in today's lineup. Didn't hear anything about him being in LA until after the lineup was posted. I think he's rebounded rather nicely. He struggled just a bit the past week so the treatment was wearing off. No big deal. The week before he was NL player of the week.

 

Block reported on the pregame show, that he'd be back in there sometime in the Minnesota series.

 

Well that is certainly the most optimistic way to look at this. How long is he supposed to go between treatments?

 

I hope he ready in time for the play offs!

[Thurston Fluff]

I don't see how this hurts his trade value at all. If he has to miss a few days every couple months so what? All this shows is his thumb issues are something that can be controlled with minimal playing time missed. If it doesn't even require a 15 day DL stint to get him back to his old self nobody is going to care. If anything this is a good thing to show it isn't going to be an ongoing issue that will last the whole season.

[clancyphile]

I don't see how this hurts his trade value at all. If he has to miss a few days every couple months so what? All this shows is his thumb issues are something that can be controlled with minimal playing time missed. If it doesn't even require a 15 day DL stint to get him back to his old self nobody is going to care. If anything this is a good thing to show it isn't going to be an ongoing issue that will last the whole season.

 

Exactly. This is something that can be worked around.

 

I am far more worried about the meniscus of Khris Davis than this...

[Boomer5]

I don't see how this hurts his trade value at all. If he has to miss a few days every couple months so what? All this shows is his thumb issues are something that can be controlled with minimal playing time missed. If it doesn't even require a 15 day DL stint to get him back to his old self nobody is going to care. If anything this is a good thing to show it isn't going to be an ongoing issue that will last the whole season.

 

Our 31 year old $105M OF'er needs periodic treatment that will keep him from playing here and there and that its not big deal?

 

If we remain a 18-35 caliber team I guess so but if we have aspirations of being a competitive team ever I am not sure about this POV.

[FVBrewerFan]

I still think Braun is very tradeable, as long as he keeps hitting the way he has. Maybe not today, but later this season, or the off-season. Why?

 

1) I've said it over and over, but his past PED use does not diminish his value. Plenty of other guys with PED use have been traded, signed as FA, etc. He did need to prove he can hit post PED use, and he is doing that.

 

2) His contract is very reasonable for a .900 OPS guy who still has a few prime seasons left.

 

3) This thumb thing can be managed. Everyone gets off a few guys here and there, so this is no different.

 

4) Who would want a .900 OPS guy? Question is, who would NOT want that?

[clancyphile]

I still think Braun is very tradeable, as long as he keeps hitting the way he has. Maybe not today, but later this season, or the off-season. Why?

 

1) I've said it over and over, but his past PED use does not diminish his value. Plenty of other guys with PED use have been traded, signed as FA, etc. He did need to prove he can hit post PED use, and he is doing that.

 

2) His contract is very reasonable for a .900 OPS guy who still has a few prime seasons left.

 

3) This thumb thing can be managed. Everyone gets off a few guys here and there, so this is no different.

 

4) Who would want a .900 OPS guy? Question is, who would NOT want that?

 

The big question is how do they find a way to schedule when Braun can have the appropriate tratment for his thumb, and minimize the games he will miss?

 

1. He's still got a .976 OPS over the last 28 days.

2. The contract is very good for someone who posts an OPS in the .860-.950 range

3. The way things are, he is the closest thing the Brewers have to a franchise player. Someone's gotta help keep the Miller Park seats filled.

[FVBrewerFan]

Someone's gotta help keep the Miller Park seats filled.

 

Meh. That was said about Fielder, Hart, Sexson, Burnitz... all kinds of guys. And Braun is less popular right now than all those guys. Fans move on to the next, just as management should. Trade him.

[clancyphile]

Someone's gotta help keep the Miller Park seats filled.

 

Meh. That was said about Fielder, Hart, Sexson, Burnitz... all kinds of guys. And Braun is less popular right now than all those guys. Fans move on to the next, just as management should. Trade him.

 

The Brewers need to have a strong farm system, but when you get a Prince Fielder, Jon Lucroy, or Ryan Braun, nothing can be more dispiriting for fans than to know that after 5-6 years, that star player's gonna either be traded or leave as a free agent. If Braun hadn't hurt his thumb in 2013, I'd venture to say that he'd be considered the cornerstone of the team, instead of being a contract to dump.

 

The Sexson deal worked out well. If you can get 3/4 of a starting infield for a guy, go ahead. But what can be a killer is something like the Burnitz trade. How well did that work out?

[tmwiese55]

Or take a look at how the Phillies have done trading their people the last few years. Just saw an article about this the other day. Yea of course they should have traded Howard, Utley, Rollins, Hamels too but for all the guys in recent years they've only gotten back one guy who might make the big leagues (and I think it was in the Jimmie Rollins deal last year). You see this way more often than not, tends to put me in the camp of thinking prospects are generally overrated.

[owbc]

It's really about how much of the contract the Brewers have to eat when they are ready to trade him. As long as Braun isn't blocking any prospects from getting playing time, he may as well play out the remainder of the contract in a Brewers uniform.

 

He has a long, long way to go to actually be worth something more than a bag of baseballs.

[jerichoholicninja]

If Braun's not on the field because of his thumb, that reduces that chances of him aggravating his intercostal injury. So...bonus?

[FVBrewerFan]

He has a long, long way to go to actually be worth something more than a bag of baseballs.

 

Why? Why wouldn't a playoff contender want a bat like Braun, and a manageable contract? Look at the massive dollars being thrown around for talent far less than Braun, and some of those deals are for players older than Braun. (Pujols for example.)

 

As far as other deals go, sure, maybe prospects are overrated. But just dumping the contract alone is a plus. There are no guarantees, but KC is pretty pleased with the Greinke deal. Every example of a trade for prospects you can give me that didn't work out, I can give you one that has. But I would trade Braun in a heartbeat to get out of that contract and have even a 50/50 chance you get true value back.

[xisxisxis]

The Brewers need to have a strong farm system, but when you get a Prince Fielder, Jon Lucroy, or Ryan Braun, nothing can be more dispiriting for fans than to know that after 5-6 years, that star player's gonna either be traded or leave as a free agent.

 

How about having the major league team with the worst record, a minor league farm system still ranked at or near the bottom and the same idiots in charge? That is more dispiriting to me than not being able to keep all-stars into their free agent years.

[superfly]

Well that diminishes all the recent hopes of Braun regaining his values as a great trade chip. The potential that the surgery has diminishing effects over time, and the 2014 Braun becomes the norm would be too much for me to trade for him.

 

I agree. This removes any hope that Braun goes into the asset column going forward as far as tradability. We will now be stuck with him for the life of his deal. His on the field cant stay healthy issues now match his off the field PED stigma issues.

 

Im going to be sick.

 

 

Please don't make me beat the dead horse that has plagued this site for months now (RE--Braun's contract). Step back off the ledge. 1) It's not your money, stop being sick over it. 2) It's a game. 3) Braun has been pretty good for a stretch now...what more do you want?

 

Good lord.

[Pugger]

Well that diminishes all the recent hopes of Braun regaining his values as a great trade chip. The potential that the surgery has diminishing effects over time, and the 2014 Braun becomes the norm would be too much for me to trade for him.

 

I agree. This removes any hope that Braun goes into the asset column going forward as far as tradability. We will now be stuck with him for the life of his deal. His on the field cant stay healthy issues now match his off the field PED stigma issues.

 

Im going to be sick.

 

I don't think this is a big deal. It's not like he can't play with it as long as they treat it regularly.

[Roderick]

 

Why? Why wouldn't a playoff contender want a bat like Braun, and a manageable contract?

 

Well if I was a team trading for Braun I would be very worried about his thumb and his intercostal and whatever other injuries are going to pop up as he gets older. Not saying I wouldn't want him, but I wouldn't give away the farm for him and you should have a good plan B to replace him if you expect to be a contender.

[monty57]

Are those of you saying it's no big deal absolutely certain that this treatment will continue to work with no diminishing results and no side effects?

 

I don't know either, but if I'm a GM, I'd certainly have concern over trading for a guy who I would be paying for 15 more seasons who requires an experimental surgery to temporarily regain his ability to hit. To me, this is akin to a pitcher who needs a cortisone shot in his shoulder every 4-5 starts. There is a serious problem there that is being masked - not cured - and that will be your problem if you trade for him. Without this surgery, Braun is a mediocre player, and this surgery is hiding that, not fixing it.

[Outlander]

Are those of you saying it's no big deal absolutely certain that this treatment will continue to work with no diminishing results and no side effects?

Nobody can be certain of that because it has not been done before. I thought he could be traded before but don't see it anymore because there is uncertainty and has been too small a sample size to see if it works long term.

[Pugger]

Are those of you saying it's no big deal absolutely certain that this treatment will continue to work with no diminishing results and no side effects?

 

I don't know either, but if I'm a GM, I'd certainly have concern over trading for a guy who I would be paying for 15 more seasons who requires an experimental surgery to temporarily regain his ability to hit. To me, this is akin to a pitcher who needs a cortisone shot in his shoulder every 4-5 starts. There is a serious problem there that is being masked - not cured - and that will be your problem if you trade for him. Without this surgery, Braun is a mediocre player, and this surgery is hiding that, not fixing it.

 

It appears from here that this will be an issue for him the rest of his career. Some team who needs a big bat out in the outfield might show some interest but will they make us an offer that will be worth it for us?

[monty57]

Are those of you saying it's no big deal absolutely certain that this treatment will continue to work with no diminishing results and no side effects?

 

I don't know either, but if I'm a GM, I'd certainly have concern over trading for a guy who I would be paying for 15 more seasons who requires an experimental surgery to temporarily regain his ability to hit. To me, this is akin to a pitcher who needs a cortisone shot in his shoulder every 4-5 starts. There is a serious problem there that is being masked - not cured - and that will be your problem if you trade for him. Without this surgery, Braun is a mediocre player, and this surgery is hiding that, not fixing it.

 

It appears from here that this will be an issue for him the rest of his career. Some team who needs a big bat out in the outfield might show some interest but will they make us an offer that will be worth it for us?

 

I agree that he could still be traded, but this is another negative to his value. With his recent resurgence, there has been a glimmer of hope that he could be a good trade chip, with a team sending good talent as well as taking on his entire contract. I don't know if this was ever going to happen, but this news just reduces the chances of that happening.

[Thurston Fluff]

I don't see how this hurts his trade value at all. If he has to miss a few days every couple months so what? All this shows is his thumb issues are something that can be controlled with minimal playing time missed. If it doesn't even require a 15 day DL stint to get him back to his old self nobody is going to care. If anything this is a good thing to show it isn't going to be an ongoing issue that will last the whole season.

 

Our 31 year old $105M OF'er needs periodic treatment that will keep him from playing here and there and that its not big deal?

 

If we remain a 18-35 caliber team I guess so but if we have aspirations of being a competitive team ever I am not sure about this POV.

 

The periodic treatment is once, maybe twice, a season. The here or there he will be prevented from playing is a total of about one week if he needs it twice in a season. In the meantime there are dozens of players who have periodic back flareups, hamstring issues, foot problems, shoulder and arm issues that can flare up at any time that keep them out weeks or months to heal that get offered contracts . A team is taking a bigger risk with Ramirez or Lind than Braun. Josh Hamilton is a prime example of someone who was a far bigger risk when he got his mega contract than Braun is now. Crawford was traded while in the midst of several arm and wrist issues and had fives years of his seven year $142 million dollar contract left. This is a known issue that has a known way to deal with it that requires a few days off to fix. That is nothing comparatively speaking.