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Brewers Injury Updates: Ryan Braun, Tyler Thornburg, Jim Henderson

At Brewers on Deck, Ryan Braun, Tyler Thornburg, and Jim Henderson discussed the progress they have made as they recover from injuries in 2014.

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

One of the biggest wild cards entering 2015 is the status of Ryan Braun, Tyler Thornburg, and Jim Henderson. Beyond some details given months ago, we had no indication on the status of their recovery. Today at Brewers on Deck, we received additional details about their status, and the news is encouraging.

Ryan Braun is the biggest name of this group, and the last we heard is that the cryotherapy procedure was a success. At Brewers on Deck, he discussed with Todd Rosiak how it has progressed since then:

So far, everything has gone well after the cryotherapy procedure. There's still more progress to be made before the start of the season, but at least there have been no setbacks so far. This will be an injury that we will monitor throughout the season, but all signs are positive for now.

Next up is Jim Henderson. He was shut down last season with a shoulder injury, and ended up having shoulder surgery to clean up his shoulder in an effort to recover. Adam McCalvy got an update on his injury status:

This one isn't as positive, but at least is trending upward. There's still a lot to see with Henderson before Opening Day, and the bullpen sessions will begin to test that. There are questions about how his shoulder will hold up after the sessions, as well as if he can get his velocity back to where it was in 2013. Remember, Tom Gorzelanny had shoulder surgery after the 2013 season and spent the first 2 1/2 months of 2014 on the disabled list. While Gorzelanny's surgery was more extensive, shoulder injuries can be tricky. However, it won't be long until we know more about Henderson's progress.

The final injury update is about Tyler Thornburg. He went on the disabled list in June with an elbow injury, and never returned from it last season. Today, we got confirmation that it was an UCL injury, as well as the status of his recover. From Andrew Gruman:

It's scary to hear that Tommy John surgery was a possibility for Tyler Thornburg, but the rest of the news is very encouraging. The fact that he's already throwing two bullpen sessions a week is a big step forward, and as long as everything goes well, he should be 100% when pitchers and catchers report next month. Like Braun and Henderson, we will be watching Thornburg as spring training starts, but all signs are good for now.

All three of these injuries updates are very encouraging as the Brewers approach 2015. The health of all three players could be key in the Brewers making a run at the postseason, and to hear that everything is going well is a relief. Now, we just need to see if that trend upwards continues.