Milwaukee Brewers: How painful was the loss on Wednesday?

The Milwaukee Brewers fell to the Chicago Cubs, 8-4, on Wednesday afternoon, but the loss on the field wasn’t the only pain they felt. The Brewers suffered a pair of key injuries.

The Milwaukee Brewers have three players on the 10-day DL, and four on the 60-day DL. They may have to add to their list of wounded because a pair of important players left early on Wednesday.

What happened to Ryan Braun?

Ryan Braun felt discomfort in his chest after an attempt at a sliding catch in the bottom of the third inning. He lasted until the fifth before he needed to come out. Braun was diagnosed with a rib cage strain. It’s unclear if he’s going to need a trip to the DL. If he needs time off, it would be his third time this year. He missed time with back stiffness and for another issue with his side.

Why did Manny Pina leave early?

Manny Pina was trying to get back to second base after Christian Yelich lined out in the top of the seventh inning. Pina made hard contact with Cubs second baseman Javier Baez and came up hurting. The Brewers have Pina scheduled for an MRI on Thursday morning, and will make a determination from there. Based on Pina’s comments, it doesn’t sound too bad, but his status really depends on how the MRI comes back.

Who’s coming up to replace them?

Pina’s status is contingent on the MRI. Braun will get a few days to shake off the rib cage injury before a move is made. Howver, if the Brewers need to place Braun or Pina on the DL, they have a few options available.

The choice to replace Pina should be obvious, but Jacob Nottingham is on the 7-day DL at Triple-A. The Milwaukee Brewers may call up Christian Bethancourt, but they’ll have to do some serious roster gymnastics to add him to the 40-man roster. Bethancourt owns an .849 OPS with 19 homers in Triple-A this year.

The player to replace Braun should be familiar to Milwaukee Brewers fans. Domingo Santana is likely to get the call to replace Braun if he needs a DL stint. Santana has an .854 OPS with five homers in 40 games in Triple-A. Keon Broxton could also get considered, but he was just up, and he struggled. Santana has worked to find himself at the plate, and has earned a second chance.