Ryan Braun Placed on 10-Day Injured List by Brewers Because of Finger Infection

On Sunday, the Milwaukee Brewers announced they placed outfielder and first baseman Ryan Braun on the 10-day injured list because of an infected right index finger.

The announcement noted the trip to the IL is retroactive to July 30 and does not yet include a corresponding roster move.  

This news comes after center fielder Lorenzo Cain announced he will opt out of the remainder of the season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"With all of the uncertainty and unknowns surrounding our game at this time, I feel that this is the best decision for me, my wife, and our three kids," he said.

There was a time when Braun was unquestionably on the shortlist of the best players in the league. He won the National League MVP in 2011, made five straight All-Star Games from 2008-12 and led the league in home runs in 2012.

However, he hasn't played 150 games in a season since that 2012 campaign, and the 144 he played last year was his highest mark in seven seasons. He was still solid at the plate with a .285/.343/.505 slash line, 22 home runs and 75 RBI, but he wasn't the same force he was in his prime.

The Brewers have not played since Wednesday because their weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.

Look for Milwaukee to stick with Justin Smoak and Logan Morrison at first base and some combination of Christian Yelich, Ben Gamel and Avisail Garcia in the outfield while Braun is sidelined.