Ryan Braun approaches true test after offseason surgery on thumb

MILWAUKEE -- Ryan Braun's annual appearance at Brewers On Deck carried a much different vibe this year than it did a year ago.

National television cameras weren't following his every move, while the media horde wanting to interview him was significantly smaller than the mob scene that waited in 2014 for his first public comments since his suspension for use of performance-enhancing drugs.

However, the questions as to if Braun can return to MVP form still remain. Now they just revolve around his repaired right thumb.

"Knock on wood I feel great, it feels really good," Braun said. "Everything's going well, regular offseason, regular routine. I started hitting a little bit earlier than I typically do, just to kind of see how it felt.

"I don't feel anything at all. It feels great, so I'm able to do everything that I would typically do. No restrictions, doesn't prevent me from doing anything. I didn't have to alter any type of workout routine or my hitting or anything I do in the offseason."

Braun also knows the true test still lies ahead. The next step is seeing how the thumb holds up when he hits consistently off live pitching in spring training. Then come the rigors of the regular season, especially during early season games in which the temperature might be under 50 degrees.

After being plagued by a nerve issue at the base of the thumb for most of 2014, Braun underwent a cryotherapy procedure on Oct. 2 in Los Angeles. A needle was inserted at the base of his right thumb to freeze the troublesome nerve.

"I know it's significantly better than it was at this time last year, which I'm encouraged by," Braun said. "I think the real test will come in spring training once we've played games for a couple weeks and just every day, that wear and tear, see how it recovers, see how it responds. But I do know it's significantly better now than where it was last year, so that's exciting."

Unable to properly grip or swing the bat for most of 2014, Braun hit .266 with 19 home runs and 81 RBI in 2014, all of which were career lows outside of the season in which he was suspended for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Braun was batting .301 on July 26, but he hit just .209 with five home runs and 20 RBI in his last 53 games. He later admitted the painful nature of the nerve issue in his thumb forced him to swing "one-handed" for the majority of the season.

Would the Brewers have lost 22 of their final 31 games -- mostly due to an invisible offense -- if Braun had been healthy? All they can do is wonder, 'what if?' at this point.

"It's tough," Braun said. "It's tough for me, it's tough for us as a team, you don't get those opportunities too often, and as we've all seen, if you get to the postseason, anybody can win it. The challenge is just getting in, and I've now played long enough to know you don't get an opportunity to play those meaningful games in September every year, and when you do get those chances you have to take advantage of it."

Many questions surround the Brewers heading into spring training, but none are bigger than the health of Braun's thumb. If healthy, the 31-year-old is capable of masking other potential offensive problems.

"It's certainly big," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "I know he's said that if he was healthy, things might have been different last year and maybe they would have. Having he and Aramis (Ramirez) both healthy and swinging it well certainly would have made a difference."

Braun carried averages of .314, 34 home runs and 107 RBI over the first six years of his career, which includes his MVP season of 2011 when he hit .332 with 33 home runs and 111 RBI.

Over the last two seasons, Braun has played in just 196 games with a .275 batting average, a total of 28 home runs and 119 RBI.

"It's different when you don't have Ryan on the team or he's not 100 percent because he's in the middle of the lineup and he's the best hitter we have in the lineup," Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez said. "Without him, I don't think we're going to make the playoffs."

Added catcher Jonathan Lucroy on the impact of a healthy Braun: "We'll be a deadly lineup with everybody in there. I'm really excited about that; I'm optimistic that we'll score a lot of runs."

Braun is hoping to avoid another cyrotherapy procedure, but it remains an option --possibly even during the season -- if the thumb were to act up again. Currently, the right fielder doesn't plan on altering his spring training workload in any way.

"We'll figure it out as we go," Braun said. "I think that was something I tried to do a lot of last year. So we'll kind of see how it feels, see how it responds, see what the recovery is like. There are still plenty of unknowns, but right now, I don't really anticipate being limited at all."

If healthy, Braun remains confident he can still be the dominant offensive player the Brewers need in the middle of their lineup in order to compete in what is shaping up to be a tough National League Central.

Considering Braun is owed $103 million over the next six seasons, the Brewers have a lot riding on a return to form.

"The goal is to be the best player I can be," Braun said. "I've always said, as long as I'm healthy I think success is inevitable. Last year was not a good year. So hopefully, I'm able to stay healthy this year and get back to doing the things that I'm used to doing."


(foxsports.com)