Major League Baseball

Braun out of lineup for opener with Giants

Published May. 5, 2012 2:34 a.m. ET

foxsports

Ryan Braun was held out of the Milwaukee Brewers starting lineup for Friday night's series opener with San Francisco, two days after the reigning NL MVP left the game at San Diego in the sixth inning with a sore right Achilles tendon.

Manager Ron Roenicke said the slugger and left fielder could be available off the bench if he does fine handling pregame baseball activities - but the plan wasn't to have Braun take batting practice. Roenicke wasn't sure whether Braun would start in Saturday afternoon's game with the Giants, and listed him as day to day.

''It's still just a tight Achilles, trying to give him another day,'' Roenicke said. ''He's going to run around and do some things to see if he's able to pinch hit tonight. He's going to do some work in the cages.''

Braun underwent treatment in the training room before the game and wasn't available to discuss his injury. Braun, who hit three home runs, a triple and had six RBIs in Monday's 8-3 win over the Padres, said he got hurt sliding into second base Tuesday night. Braun's three-homer game was just the 18th in franchise history.

He is batting .283 with seven home runs and 17 RBIs in 24 games this year.

With Braun out, Roenicke bumped struggling leadoff man Rickie Weeks into the No. 2 hole - and the manager might give that a look for a short time. Weeks is batting .172 with three home runs and six RBIs, including 2 for 19 (.105) so far on the current nine-game road trip.

''It's tricky,'' Roenicke said of writing his lineup. ''I may leave Rickie there for a little bit, the second spot. That wasn't just because of Ryan. I talked to Rickie today and we'll try to do some things to get the offense going a little bit.''