Ryan Braun returns to the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. It might be a little awkward for Braun who struggled at the plate before heading on the disabled list. Brewers found their mojo in his absence, and players like Jesus Aguilar and Domingo Santana are both hitting the ball very well. What’s Craig Counsell going to do with Ryan Braun? It’s going to take some creativity, and Braun hitting somewhere else in the order.

Braun is currently hitting .223. Many people think that Braun is finished as a baseball player. As one of my favorite players, I refuse to believe this to be true. Is he going to be an MVP again? No. Can he recapture the magic in certain situations? Absolutely. Braun will need to hit lower in the order against righties, and against lefties, we may see him hit fifth pending on the lineup that Counsell wants to put out there. Hopefully, the Brewers legend realizes that him batting third does not help the team at the current moment. Now if things change, maybe he goes back up the order, but right now, he’s at best a five hitter in this lineup.

It’s crazy to think that Braun is one player that is lagging behind everyone else on this roster. Granted, Aguilar’s All-Star caliber first two months was unexpected, I don’t think anyone thought Braun would scuffle like he has this season. Part of it could be what other players around his age are going through at the plate like Paul Goldschmidt and Jose Altuve where the pitchers are becoming more advanced, and they cannot figure out the combination of pitches. To me, Braun is the fourth-best outfielder and the second-best first baseman. To get him and Aguilar in a lineup means you have to sacrifice Travis Shaw’s bat which is also red hot and still decent enough versus lefties.

Do I hope for a Braun revival? Yes, 1000 percent. There would be nothing sweeter than seeing Braun stroking the ball with doubles, triples and home runs. When you know Braun is rolling, he lashes doubles to right-center and hits homers all over the park. That’s when he’s really cooking with steam. Hope we see that player again this season.

Charlie.