Braun: I'll speak when 'legally allowed'

"When I am able to, I will speak," Braun said in a message relayed to reporters.

Braun acknowledged the difficult position in which he left teammates and manager Ron Roenicke, who were left to answer for Braun in the days that followed Monday afternoon's announcement. The Brewers struggled with many of those questions, because they have no idea what specific wrongdoings Braun was acknowledging in admitting "mistakes."

"I know it was difficult for everybody, but I was not, and still am not, legally allowed to say anything yet," Braun said Thursday.

Braun referenced comments made the night before by Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio, who said Braun was remaining quiet either in deference to, or by direct order of, MLB as the league continued its probe of Biogenesis, the defunct Florida firm accused of supplying players with banned substances. Attanasio did not know how long Braun's silence would continue, and Braun's text messages on Thursday did not include any reference to a timeline.

On Wednesday, Braun apologized for the second time to Attanasio, this time in person, in Milwaukee. Attanasio said he had accepted Braun's apology and that Braun had agreed to let Attanasio take an active role in the challenging public relations effort ahead.

"Right now, the full expectation is to keep him, and the full expectation is that he is going to do the right things, he is going to say the right things, and he is going to put in a lot of hard work to get back into folks' good graces," Attanasio said. "That is going to take some time. It's not like we are going to be at Opening Day next year and we're going to be through this. We are not going to be through this. …

"He wants to do the right thing at this point going forward. This was a first step, by coming forward and agreeing to a penalty and being the first player to do that. That is a first step, and it is a baby step, but it is a step in the right direction."