Timing is everything

The Milwaukee Brewers placed Ryan Braun on the 15-day disabled list Friday due to his sore right thumb -- a problem that first cropped up a few days after it was reported that Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch was going to cooperate with Major League Baseball officials in their investigation of the clinic and its potential connection to approximately 20 players including Braun, Alex Rodriguez and Nelson Cruz, among others.

I realize that Braun's thumb injury is most likely coincidental and not related to the investigation, which might link the 2011 National League Player of the Year to steroids. But there is also the coincidental possibility that if Braun is linked to Bosch and his clinic, he may wind up getting a 100-game suspension just as he comes off the DL. So in essence, Brewers fans might not potentially see Braun again until 2014. It all depends on how quickly Braun's thumb heals and how quickly the Biogenesis investigation goes.

In the short term, losing Braun for a couple of weeks won't change Milwaukee's fortunes this season. The Brewers are in last place in the National League Central, and this was after playing at about a .500 clip during Braun's absence. They weren't going anywhere with Braun in the lineup, and they won't go anywhere without him, either.

The bigger question for Milwaukee's ownership is, does the risk of keeping Braun on the team if he is found to be guilty of associating with Bosch and Biogenesis outweigh the reward of having a career .313 hitter with 211 home runs? Braun is signed with the team through the 2020 season, but if he gets suspended, the Brewers might get concerned about a potential fan backlash like the one seen between the New York Yankees fans and Alex Rodriguez, who is persona non grata in the Bronx.

Frankly, I think the Brewers keep Braun because they cast their lot with him when they signed him to the five-year, $105 million extension in 2011 and let Prince Fielder go to Detroit last year. For better or for worse, they made Braun the face of their organization.

But right now, it's a face that's missing from the lineup, and that may hold true for a lot longer than a couple of weeks. It all depends on the timing and the outcome of baseball's latest steroids investigation.