No structural damage to Braun's side
Brewer slugger's spring training return unknown, should be ready for Opening Day
Tom Haudricourt
Issue date: 4/2/09 Section: Sports
PHOENIX (MCT) - The Milwaukee Brewers received some measure of comfort Thursday when an MRI revealed no structural damage in the ailing right side of leftfielder Ryan Braun. Now the Brewers and Braun know for sure he has nothing more than tightness in his intercostal muscles on that side. No cracked rib, no tears of any kind.
"It's pretty much what the player and the doctor from last week told us," assistant general manager Gord Ash said. "We didn't think it was anything serious but any time a player continues to have stiffness, you want to get to the bottom of it.
"The MRI certainly gives us some comfort. We know it's nothing structural."
Braun was listed as "day to day" with tightness of the intercostal muscles that wrap around the ribcage. He was not allowed to swing a bat Thursday, either in the morning workout or the exhibition game against Texas.
Ash said it remained to be seen when Braun would be allowed to play again. There's no guarantee the tightness will completely dissipate, even with an extended period of rest.
The Brewers open the season April 7 in San Francisco, and Ash said the problem did not appear serious enough to prevent Braun from getting ready to play.
"He'll get his treatment and we'll see how it goes," Ash said. "He doesn't seem to be concerned about it."
In his first game back from the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday, Braun exited after walking in each of his first two at-bats. Braun took treatment that morning and participated in batting practice and said he was good to go.
Braun said he saw no need to be examined by a team doctor before playing in that game. He sat out two games in the second round of the WBC because of intercostal tightness but was cleared to play in the semifinals and reported no problems.
"It was a non-issue in my opinion," Braun said. "I had contact (with team trainers) every day, twice a day, when I was gone until I got back.
"They looked at it and heated it up and everything, but I didn't need any extensive tests. It wasn't negligence on the (team's) part or anything like that. I didn't think I needed to be (examined). They've been great about that."
"It's pretty much what the player and the doctor from last week told us," assistant general manager Gord Ash said. "We didn't think it was anything serious but any time a player continues to have stiffness, you want to get to the bottom of it.
"The MRI certainly gives us some comfort. We know it's nothing structural."
Braun was listed as "day to day" with tightness of the intercostal muscles that wrap around the ribcage. He was not allowed to swing a bat Thursday, either in the morning workout or the exhibition game against Texas.
Ash said it remained to be seen when Braun would be allowed to play again. There's no guarantee the tightness will completely dissipate, even with an extended period of rest.
The Brewers open the season April 7 in San Francisco, and Ash said the problem did not appear serious enough to prevent Braun from getting ready to play.
"He'll get his treatment and we'll see how it goes," Ash said. "He doesn't seem to be concerned about it."
In his first game back from the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday, Braun exited after walking in each of his first two at-bats. Braun took treatment that morning and participated in batting practice and said he was good to go.
Braun said he saw no need to be examined by a team doctor before playing in that game. He sat out two games in the second round of the WBC because of intercostal tightness but was cleared to play in the semifinals and reported no problems.
"It was a non-issue in my opinion," Braun said. "I had contact (with team trainers) every day, twice a day, when I was gone until I got back.
"They looked at it and heated it up and everything, but I didn't need any extensive tests. It wasn't negligence on the (team's) part or anything like that. I didn't think I needed to be (examined). They've been great about that."
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