Braun, Segura injuries leave Brewers shorthanded
MILWAUKEE -- Ron Roenicke managed the most shorthanded game of his career Sunday, with right fielder Ryan Braun and shortstop Jean Segura sidelined by injuries and backup catcher Martin Maldonado serving the final game of a suspension.
A team doctor spent Sunday morning examining Braun, who exited Saturday's win over the Cubs with a right rib-cage strain, and Segura, who was struck in the face by Braun's bat earlier in the game as Braun got loose on the top step of the dugout. Following Sunday's 4-0 loss to the Cubs, Roenicke reiterated that there were no immediate plans to place either player on the disabled list.
Segura vowed to play during the Brewers' road trip to St. Louis and Cincinnati, but Roenicke said Braun will miss at least another 3-5 days. Elian Herrera will play right field in Braun's absence, while club officials mull whether to make a roster move.
"I've dealt with it before, and it's uncomfortable," said Braun, who has been dealing with a strained intercostal muscle for several days. "Sleeping's not very good. I'll get treatment twice today and probably get treatment twice every day, and see what happens. Hope it gets better."
Asked whether he worried he might end up on the DL, Braun said, "You know I don't speculate on that. It's day to day. I remain optimistic. I'll get my treatment."
Segura has a swollen right eye and a nasty cut, which was stitched up by a plastic surgeon. Braun has long warmed up by swinging his bat on the top dugout step when he is in the hole, especially of late, because he has stopped taking pregame swings in the batting cage to protect his troublesome right thumb. Teammates and coaches are aware of the practice and usually stay away.
"When it happened, I thought it was something bad," Segura said. "Today, I feel much better and thank God nothing was worse. ... It was a scary moment for me. I thought it was something worse, I thought it was a fracture or broken something. A concussion, because when it happened I just couldn't feel anything. That [feeling] in my head, it was a scary moment for me."
Braun still felt terrible about the accident on Sunday morning.
"Whenever you hurt one of your friends, no matter how it happened, it's always kind of disturbing," he said.
Roenicke, meanwhile, was tasked with managing a game with only two position players available on the bench: Mark Reynolds, who could play anywhere but catcher, and Rickie Weeks, who is considered by the club a second baseman, period. Pitchers Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse were at the ready Sunday just in case, Gallardo probably to pinch-hit and Lohse to play a corner outfield spot in an emergency.
"They're two big components," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said of the Brewers' latest personnel losses. "Segura is an exciting young player and shortstop. I'm not sure exactly what happened [in the dugout]. Ryan Braun, obviously, is an All-Star. The reality is on any given day, a Major League team can win a ballgame. You can't take anything for granted."