Notes: Braun's back tightness gets Franklin in Brewers lineup
Ryan Braun was scratched from the Brewers’ starting lineup Saturday night with lower back tightness, an issue manager Craig Counsell said his leftfielder had been dealing with since Wednesday.
Braun did not start Thursday afternoon against Colorado but it was presumed to be merely a day off. He pinch hit in the ninth inning of that 2-1 loss to the Rockies and flied out to deep right to end the game.
Braun played all 11 innings Friday night against the Chicago Cubs, scoring the winning run on a bases-loaded wild pitch by Mike Montgomery. Braun had a jarring slide home as Montgomery tried to block the plate, but Counsell said that was not the reason for the back tightness.
Counsell said it was similar to the back tightness Braun experienced at times in 2016 after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disk in October 2015.
“It was bugging him (since) Wednesday,” Counsell said. “It was time to back off.”
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With an off-day on the schedule Monday, Counsell could rest Braun again in the series finale Sunday against the Cubs and give him three days in a row off. Counsell said he would wait until Sunday morning to make that decision.
“I’m not going to say no yet for (Sunday),” Counsell said.
Scratching Braun allowed Counsell to give newcomer Nick Franklin a start in left field. Franklin, who made 16 starts in left for Tampa Bay last season, is a switch-hitter and it allowed Counsell to get another lefty bat in the lineup against Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks.
Centerfielder Keon Broxton was out of the starting lineup for the second straight day after suffering a nasal fracture, swelling and bruises when hit in the face by a pitch that glanced off his helmet C flap Thursday. Broxton finished the game Friday night in center and Counsell said he would be available off the bench again.
Counsell got another lefty bat in the lineup in center with Kirk Nieuwenhuis.
The fast lane: As he did during his years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, reliever Jared Hughes runs in from the bullpen as fast as he can when summoned into games. Hughes said he began that practice in Triple-A six years ago when he got a dire warning from a teammate.
“I got drafted in 2006 and was a starter throughout the minor leagues,” he said. “I wasn’t having much success in my career, and in 2011 my bullpen catcher looked at me and said, ‘You might get released. You may as well just sprint in and throw the ball as hard as you can. Throw every pitch as hard as you can.’
“So, I started doing it and two months later I was in the big leagues, and I never stopped.”
And where is that catcher today? He's an investment banker.
Former Brewers reliever Todd Coffey used to sprint in from the bullpen as well, but Hughes said he never met him.
“He was probably faster than me,” Hughes said. “I just look fast. Another added bonus is it gets my heart rate up. I’m good to go when I get to the mound.”
At 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Hughes can be a bit intimidating charging in at full speed. So, is Counsell tempted to step aside and olé him like a bullfighter?
“He warned me the first day I met him,” Counsell said. “The sea kind of parted (as Hughes charged in). (Shortstop Orlando) Arcia and (second baseman Jonathan) Villar kind of backed off and opened up for him, because he was coming in hard.
“I can see them getting a little routine going with that. It’s (Hughes’) routine. It gets him locked in.”
Doing it all: First baseman Jesús Aguilar has forced his way into the lineup by swinging at hot bat, but he handles himself well in the field as well. He started two deft 3-6-3 double plays in the late innings Friday night that bailed out pitchers and allowed the Brewers to pull out the 2-1 victory.
“He’s a big man with good feet and hands,” Counsell said. “That was the (scouting) report. He hasn’t surprised me. That’s what I was expecting.
“You can go seasons without turning 3-6-3s or 3-6-1s. It’s a skilled play, is what I would call it. It’s a skilled play for a first baseman.”