Ryan Braun: To Undergo Thumb Surgery After Season

Braun will undergo a minimally-invasive surgical procedure on his thumb Thursday morning in Los Angeles, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Analysis:

Braun, who is in Sunday's lineup against the Cubs for the Brewers' season finale, has been playing with an ongoing nerve issue with his right thumb for most of the season, with his offensive production especially weakened in the second half (.228/.295/.379 over 254 plate appearances). The outfielder's greatest difficulty has come with gripping the bat, a problem he expects the procedure to fully resolve. Braun will turn 31 in November and believes he can return to the level of superstar-caliber play he delivered over his previous seven seasons, but there's plenty of reason to be pessimistic. His slugging percentage already noticed a steep dip in 2013 while he played amid an ongoing investigation for his involvement with the Biogenesis clinic, and the track record of players regaining power after the age of 30 is not promising.