Braun's MRI reveals no damage

PHOENIX -- An MRI scan of Ryan Braun's right side gave the Brewers some peace of mind but no further clues about the injury that has sidelined their All-Star left fielder.

The Thursday morning scan revealed no damage, according to a team spokesperson, but Braun continued to feel tightness at the back of his rib cage and was barred from the batter's box. His trip to the doctor came a day after Braun played four innings of defense against the Dodgers and never took the bat off his shoulder in two plate appearances before making an early exit.

Braun played through a similar strain last summer and fall and continues to insist that the injury, which flared up again earlier this month during his stint in the World Baseball Classic, is not serious. He declined an MRI scan during the Classic and only reluctantly accepted the "no hitting" mandate on Thursday.

"I could hit, for sure," Braun said earlier in the day. "In my opinion, with this injury, to get back to 100 percent, you have to take swings, you have to throw, you have to run at full speed, you have to do all of those things. It's a fine line between going out there, hurting yourself and getting worse, versus getting through that last little part. That's what we're trying to figure out, whether it's better to push it or rest it."

He underwent treatment on Thursday morning. Braun believes that learning to manage injuries is part of the education of a budding big leaguer.
"For sure," he said. "You learn your own body, how to deal with injuries and how your body responds to certain types of events and workouts. Maybe we have to change something I do in my workouts. Who knows? You try to make adjustments as you go."

(mlb.com)