CINCINNATI -- With Lorenzo Cain on the 10-day disabled list for a groin strain and Christian Yelich sidelined Friday by a stiff back, the last thing the Brewers needed was another injury to an outfielder.
But that's just what manager Craig Counsell's crew was dealing with when Ryan Braun made an early exit against the Reds with a recurrence of the lower back tightness that has bothered him in recent seasons. Hernan Perez replaced Braun in the seventh inning.
The Brewers' outfield was already stretched thinner than usual with the absence of Yelich, who said his back wasn't any worse Friday, a day after a flare-up forced him out of a win over the Reds following a first-inning groundout.