MLB Rumors: Ryan Braun Needs Back Surgery

MLB rumors indicate Ryan Braun needs back surgery. Braun will miss the rest of the 2015 MLB season after the Milwaukee Brewers decided to shut him down. A report from CBS Sports states that Braun has known for a while that he was going to need to go through a back surgery during the MLB offseason. The plan was to play through the pain and finish out the season, but his lower back was just getting too sore for him to continue.

“I’ve known that for a couple of months. If it were to get worse, it would prolong the recovery time, so that’s what we’re trying to avoid. It’s kind of a fine line that we’re walking there.”

The exact nature of the injury still hasn’t been revealed, with Braun declining to go into specifics about it. What he did tell the press, was that it should only require “a modest rehabilitation” before he can get to his offseason workouts. He also stated that he should be ready in plenty of time to prepare for the 2016 MLB season.

The Milwaukee Brewers still owe Ryan Braun a lot of money, with a five-year, $105 million contract extension beginning during the 2016 season. Previous MLB rumors had mentioned his name in relation to a trade, but no serious negotiations with another franchise has taken place yet. If the team is indeed going into a full rebuilding mode, though, it’s possible that Braun and his contract could be on the market soon.

In an effort to start clearing out salary, the Brewers did make several deals to improve for the future. That included trading All-Star outfielder Carlos Gomez to the Houston Astros during this season. Gomez has another year left on his current contract, but it was thought that he would become too expensive for the team to re-sign when he became a free agent.

Braun has been putting up decent numbers during the 2015 MLB season, with stats that look even better when his injury is taken into consideration. He finishes the year with a.285 batting average, 25 home runs, 84 RBIs, 87 runs scored, and 24 stolen bases. Those are still All-Star level numbers, suggesting he could become a good acquisition for another ball club if the Brewers do end up shopping him.

For now, the Milwaukee Brewers have shutdown Ryan Braun and he can get that surgery scheduled earlier than planned. It should make him available to return even quicker, with plenty of time to get healthy before Spring Training 2016. More MLB rumors are expected to come out about Braun during the offseason, though, especially if the Brewers continue on this rebuilding plan.

[Image Source: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images]