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Ryan Braun’s thumb is an issue. It’s going to keep being an issue, too, so he had to find something to do to keep it from hampering his production. So, last October, Braun underwent cryotherapy, which “introduces subzero temperatures” to the damaged nerve in his thumb. While it didn’t pay off in April, when Braun was busy fixing all the bad habits he introduced to his swing in 2014 while dealing with the thumb injury without the help of Dr. Victor Fries, he broke out late in the month and raised his OPS from 590 on April 28 all the way to 892 on May 25.
The last week or so has not been as good, though, and part of that might be that the cryotherapy is wearing off -- the effects only lasts for a few months at a time, so this is something Braun is going to have to keep having done so long as it works. Braun knows this, the Brewers know this, and so long as you’ve been reading instead of skipping down to the links, now you know this, too.
Whether the old Braun is back is still up for debate, however. The thumb was an issue last season, and he was wonderful to begin that year, too, before the rest of the campaign dragged down his numbers and made him an above-average bat instead of one of the league’s best. This cryotherapy procedure could be what makes the difference for Braun and the Brewers, however: if it keeps Braun from noticing his damaged nerve, keeps him from changing his swing or habits and allows him to be the Braun he used to be, then this Braun-like start should keep up. Considering Braun’s $105 million extension doesn’t even begin until next season, spending 2015 figuring out what will keep him hitting is key.
- Hector Olivera made his professional debut playing for the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate, and he reached base three times. That’s good news, but even better is that Yasiel Puig began a rehab assignment and could return to the Dodgers as soon as next week.
- The Giants visited the White House again, which means Hunter Pence was near President Obama again, so y’all should probably read what Grant Brisbee learned from both those experiences.
- The Mets want to trade for Ben Zobrist. Should the Yankees be in on that action, too?
- Speaking of the disappointing A’s and their eventual role as sellers should their entire season not reverse course: would you rather be them or the Tigers right now?
- Before you answer, realize that the previous question is also serving as a lead-in to this article on the Tigers’ need to either figure out what’s wrong with them or tear the whole thing apart before their window slams down on their third-place fingers.
- Is David Ortiz struggling because he’s 39 years old and no baseball player is impervious to the ravages of time, or does he just need to like, pick better pitches to swing at, or something?
- Tal’s Hill will never live to see 39, as it’s a victim of Houston’s plans to bring in the fences.
- Eduardo Rodriguez pitched himself into one of Boston’s five rotation spots, so who should keep the last one: Joe Kelly, or knuckler Steven Wright?
- Let’s look at some batted-ball velocity data, mostly as an excuse to gawk at Giancarlo Stanton. (There is no bad reason to gawk at Giancarlo Stanton.)
- Archie Bradley is struggling thanks to the lack of a refined third pitch combined with an inconsistent delivery that hampers his velocity. Prospects will break your heart, etc.
- Free agent reliever Rafael Soriano is going to throw for teams next week, and with so much turnover in bullpens across the game already, it’s hard to believe he’ll remain unemployed long after that.
- The Reds are sellers this summer, so what isn’t nailed down in Cincinnati?
- The Indians aren’t just the owners of four of the youngest, most talented pitchers in the game. They also have techniques for developing young arms that look more towards the future of pitching than they borrow from the game’s past.
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