MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Ryan Braun is out of the lineup for the second consecutive game Wednesday as the club tries to get his lingering right-thumb injury feeling as strong as possible for the stretch run.
It was reported Tuesday that Braun's thumb issue had extended to his right hand, but he said that isn't true.
"There's nothing wrong with my hand, I will say that," Braun said Wednesday afternoon. "Never has been anything wrong with my hand. There was a little thing in the wrist that we were dealing with, but it's more the thumb is the issue. I feel like I've talked about it enough. I understand where you guys are coming from. Nothing wrong with my hand."
Braun pinch hit in the seventh inning Tuesday and struck out and walked in his two plate appearances. Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said Braun was likely able to start Wednesday but is hoping another day will make a difference.
"I want to try and get this guy as good as we can get him," Roenicke said. "If I can sit him another day and he swings the bat better when we get him back, that's the right move.
"If he's good [Thursday] like he is today, I would like to put him back in there."
Although the Brewers have lost 13 of 14 games, they sit just 1 1/2 games out of the second wild-card spot. A productive Braun would go a long way in helping Milwaukee turn things around and make a push for the postseason.
When his thumb injury flares up, Braun struggles at the plate. He's hitting just .229 in the second half and .190 (4 for 21) in September.
"I want to play," Braun said. "It's not like it's drastically different than it's been. It's just, I don't make any of those decisions and just deal with everything the best that I can."
Adding an arm: Right-hander Rob Wooten was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday, giving the Brewers another pitcher in the bullpen.
Wooten was at home in North Carolina when he got the call, as Nashville's season ended on Sept. 1. The 29-year-old, who last pitched on Aug. 30, is expected to throw a bullpen session Wednesday when he arrives at the ballpark.
The right-hander is 1-4 with a 4.59 ERA in 39 games for the Brewers this season. Wooten struggled a bit in his most recent stint with Nashville, posting a 7.56 ERA in his last 16 Triple-A outings.
Wooten had a 5.82 ERA with 14 saves in 21 games for the Sounds in 2014.
With Wooten and Jimmy Nelson in the fold, the Brewers now have 12 pitchers in their bullpen.
Speaking out: Prior to taking questions from reporters in his usual pregame meeting with the media in the dugout, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke had to get something off his chest about the recent coverage of his team by the media.
Roenicke is concerned that quotes of his, without the question he was asked written before, appear to point fingers at certain players when that is not his intention.
Here's what he had to say:
"A lot of times I'll read something that's been written, like during this time, obviously it's a tough time. And sometimes when I read stuff I feel like I've been pointing fingers at what's been going on, and I don't like that. And it's too bad that when you guys write articles, that there can't be the question first as to why I'm answering this way.
For instance, I read (Ryan) Braun and (Aramis) Ramirez. You guys asked me about them . . . and if I was just to bring up, 'Hey, Braun and Ramirez need to get this thing going,' that's coming from me and I'm saying, 'These guys need to do it.' But when you ask me, 'Hey, do you think Braun and Ramirez need to get this going for you to get it done,' my response is then going to be yes, that Braun and Ramirez are both parts. But when there's no question there, it appears I'm the one bringing it up. And I don't want -- through all of this stuff, I'll point fingers at myself as much as anybody else. It's my responsibility to get this thing turned around.
"So I don't want to read me saying it's somebody else's fault, because it's not. We're all in this together. We're all a team trying to get the mojo back and trying to get this rolling right. These guys are going about their business the right way. They work hard. They have energy for the game. But yet, because it's such a negative time, that when I read it, I read it like I'm pointing fingers."
A reporter then asked Roenicke if this was something that popped up recently, during the team's current skid.
"I've felt this [for as long] as I've managed, that when I say something, I always wished that the question was written. 'This is what was asked, and this is how I responded.' Then, if I'm a player and I'm reading it, I'm like, 'He was asked this question, he's got to answer it,' versus, 'Why would Ron bring that up? Why would he all of a sudden just say that?' Well, they didn't hear the question. It has nothing to do with (a specific) article. . . .
"There's no issue recently that's been any different from the first day I managed. It's just, during this time because I am sensitive about what I say -- I've always thought this way, and now I'm paying more attention to it, I guess. When things are going good, players are kind of like, whatever. When it's going bad, they don't want to feel like they're getting blamed for something that's going wrong. I guess that's why I'm more sensitive about it."
"There hasn't been [any finger-pointing], and I don't want to be the guy, certainly, if a player picks something up and reads it, he's like, 'Well why is he pointing a finger at me?' That's just something I was thinking about."
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