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Braun 'feels great' after cryotherapy procedure on right thumb
Coming off an 82-win season that included an extended stay atop the NL Central standings, the Milwaukee Brewers feel like a team that's one, maybe two impact players away from really establishing themselves as threats in a rapidly improving division. Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot of wiggle room left on the team's budget, which will make it difficult to swing a major deal this offseason. But there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. A return to full health by All-Star Ryan Braun could be enough to offset what was clearly missing as 2014 slipped away.
It's early in the process, but the 31-year-old outfielder sounds optimistic that will be the case. Nearly two months after undergoing a cryotherapy procedure on his ailing right thumb, a procedure that involved injecting sub-zero temperatures into his thumb to freeze the damaged tissue, Braun says he's swinging the bat pain free and feels 100%.
"It feels great," said Braun, who braved sub-freezing temperatures to participate in the Brewers' annual Thanksgiving food drive with the Hunger Task Force at a drive-through site outside of Miller Park.
"I feel really good; I'm excited. I'm encouraged by how it feels but at the same time I have to be kind of cautiously optimistic. When I get into spring training and start playing every day, I'll see how it responds. But it hasn't felt this good in a really long time."
Hampered by his thumb since early in the 2013 season, Braun hit .275/339/.466 with 28 total home runs and 119 RBIs over the past two seasons. Granted, that also includes a season-ending 65-game suspension served in 2013, as well as back and oblique injuries that kept him out for stretches in 2014. But the thumb was a constant nag, and during extended stretches when it flared up he was far from the player who won Rookie of the Year in 2007 and went on to make five straight All-Star appearances.
Things really went downhill after the 2014 All-Star break. Unable to firmly grip a bat, Braun hit .226/.295/.374 with eight homers, 11 doubles and 29 RBI in his final 62 games. His final home run of the season came on Sept. 11, and as his production dipped, so too did the Brewers postseason chances. Alone in first place as late as Aug. 30, Milwaukee finished eight games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the division and six back in the wild-card standings.
Braun's importance to the team is clear, which means a lot of people in Milwaukee will be hoping to hear comments similar to these come spring training.
"I've been able to do everything full-go," Braun added. "I'm not limited in any way. I'm not hitting or anything at this point. I hit a lot right after I had the procedure done. I'll do my typical routine when I get back into baseball-specific activities in late December."
"But, so far, so good. It definitely worked. It has made a huge difference. My hope is that it gets back to 100%. Right now, I don't feel anything and I haven't been able to say that for two years. It would hurt shaking hands, writing, just doing regular, everyday activities. And I don't feel it at all. So I'm excited about that.
The Brewers have made one move this offseason, acquiring Adam Lind from the Toronto Blue Jays to play first base. That should prove helpful as well. But Braun's thumb could ultimately hold the key to their success.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
