Ryan Braun expected back Friday

Manager Ron Roenicke told us this morning that he expects left fielder Ryan Braun back from his slight groin strain on Friday, when the Brewers begin a big three-game series in Cincinnati.

Braun exited the game Tuesday night in the seventh inning after tweaking a groin strain earlier that has been bothering him off and on throughout the season. With a scheduled off day Thursday, Roenicke can give Braun the day off and he will get two days of rest before Cincinnati.

"I always think that way if I have to take a guy out in the middle of a game," said Roenicke. "(Trainer) Dan (Wright) had contact with him early this morning and he still felt it.

"Even thought we need him in there against these guys, if he can't do it and with the off day tomorrow, he should be good for Cincinnati. Usually when he has these little things and we can give him a day, and if we have an off day connected with it, it usually goes away and he's OK. I don't think it's anything big."

Braun dealt with a sore Achilles tendon earlier in the year but managed to play through that for the most part. Obviously, his nagging injuries haven't prevented him from having a big year.

I asked Roenicke if he was surprised that Braun could do so well with nagging injuries and he said, "No. Even though he's had some issues witht the Achilles -- and he had that for a long time -- I still think when he's swinging the bat that doesn't come into play. It comes into play when he takes off and runs."

Roenicke did think Braun's groin issue affected his at-bats Tuesday, when he went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts.

"The groin bothered him a little bit swinging," said Roenicke. "That's part of the reason why I took him out at that time. If it was just out in the field, he controls himself pretty well when he runs. But if it's both swinging and running, then we probably need to get him out of there." 


(jsonline.com)