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Lorenzo Cain has not looked like himself this season. While the center fielder continues to play Gold Glove-caliber defense during his second year back with the Milwaukee Brewers, he has struggled mightily at the plate compared to 2018. Through 73 games and 331 plate appearances, LoCain is batting a mere .253/.314/.357 with 4 homers and 10 steals, for a 76 wRC+. Today we learned that an injury was likely contributing to Cain’s difficulty, and that he has already sought treatment:
Lorenzo Cain was in Los Angeles this morning to undergo the same cryotherapy procedure that has helped Ryan Braun in recent years. The pain in Cain’s right thumb had become too much to bear and was affecting his play, Craig Counsell said.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) June 25, 2019
As noted by beat writer Adam McCalvy, left fielder Ryan Braun has undergone the same treatment a handful of times over the last few years to deal with nerve damage in his thumb. It is a procedure that essentially freezes and deadens the nerve endings. As has been the case with Braun, Cain figures to miss only a few days of action while recovering. McCalvy tweets that Cain will be unavailable tonight and could possibly miss tomorrow’s game. Ben Gamel will get the start in center field tonight.
Braun usually looks rejuvenated after receiving his treatments, so hopefully Lorenzo Cain will experience similar success upon his return to active duty for the Cream City Nine. In the meantime, Yasmani Grandal will continue in the role of leadoff hitter with the pitcher batting eighth.
Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs