Ryan Braun’s MRI comes back clean

The Milwaukee Brewers received some good news, and Ryan Braun got some peace of mind when an MRI was performed on his ailing left calf Wednesday.

The exam revealed no structural damage in Braun's leg, only inflammation. He missed his fourth consecutive game, but at least he knows he does not have a long-term injury.

"More than anything, it's nice to know what we're dealing with," Braun said. "We wanted to make sure there was nothing torn, nothing serious, that we're not doing any long-term damage. Now we know how to attack it, I guess."

Braun was sent for the test after he reported to Miller Park with increased soreness in the leg. That soreness was the result of a pregame workout Tuesday during which Braun hoped to be cleared to play, which didn't happen.

"I think it was the best-case result," Braun said. "They said the only thing that could have been better was if it was more in the muscle. It's kind of more hamstring than calf. It's in a tendon behind my knee that's in between the calf and the hamstring. It doesn't get as much blood flow as a muscle does.

"I'm not in pain or anything like that. It's just that, unfortunately, I'm not able to do baseball activities. The goal is to minimize the time missed. It's more beneficial to miss a little time now than a long time down the road."

Braun said he wasn't sure whether he'd be able to play in the upcoming four-game series against Cincinnati.

"I hope so," he said. "I honestly don't know."

Braun did say if he can't play against the Reds, he would pull out of the All-Star Game. He was voted by the fans for the fourth consecutive year to start in the National League outfield.

"That's not fair (to the Brewers)," Braun said. "My priority is to this team and being healthy and staying healthy for the whole second half.

"Everything right now is risk vs. reward. To rush back for the All-Star Game wouldn't be fair for what we're trying to accomplish here. The most important thing is getting back on the field. Rushing back for an All-Star Game doesn't make sense."


(jsonline.com)