Milwaukee Brewers: What To Do With Ryan Braun?

To begin the 2017 season, the Milwaukee Brewers were very hopeful that their franchise star, Ryan Braun, would be able to play another full and healthy season. Whether it was to trade him for prospects or to enjoy another solid season at the plate, there was optimism surrounding Braun for the 2017 season. Now he’s on his second trip to the DL in less than a month.

On May 25, 2017, the Milwaukee Brewers announced that Braun would hit the disabled list again. This is Braun’s second trip in less than a month. This stay looks like it will be more than the required 10 days.

According to Tom Haudricourt on Twitter, Braun thought his calf was good enough to play on, but he felt it pull after going after a foul ball.

Is this a simple case of the Brewers and Braun just being hasty for a return? Or is it more of an impending regression in regards to his overall health?

What could this mean for the Brewers if this disabled list stint is long term, say a month or two?

Do the Brewers finally start the clock on a prospect such as Brett Phillips, Lewis Brinson or Ryan Cordell?

Due to Eric Thames having the ability to play left and right field and Jesus Aguilar as a capable first baseman, the Milwaukee Brewers don’t necessarily have to add an outfielder. With versatility on the Major League roster, the Brewers don’t have to make any decisions with their top prospects, at least not yet.

What do the Brewers do if these health issues continue to linger on?  Let’s face it. There is zero chance that Braun gets traded this season if he’s out for an extended period. No team will want to take on an injury prone slugger.

Maybe he ends up riding the bench in favor of a top prospect later in the season? No one really knows what the future holds for the Brewers and Braun at this point. However, the Brewers can only wait so long before their current crop of young outfielders will be ready for the Major Leagues.

Next: Is It Time To Worry About Eric Thames?

When Braun is healthy, he is easily one of the top performers in the game today. Thanks to Braun’s offensive output, he was one of the few reasons why the Brewers have been relevant this decade. Fans need to be grateful for seeing the prime years of possibly the greatest Brewer not named Robin Yount.