We attended Sunday's Twins-Brewers game and spent a good deal of time with a couple of Brewers fans. Ryan Braun, who was lifted late in Saturday's game, was not in the lineup for the Sunday matinee. The Brewers fans did not seem overly concerned, assuming he would be back shortly from what seemed like a mild calf injury. What we're looking at now, though, is an example of how missing one game suddenly can become a handful -- or more. Please enjoy what is a rather strange set of circumstances in our eyes. From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

The Milwaukee Brewers received some good news, and Ryan Braun got some peace of mind when an MRI was performed on his ailing left calf Wednesday. The exam revealed no structural damage in Braun's leg, only inflammation. He missed his fourth consecutive game, but at least he knows he does not have a long-term injury. ... "I'm not in pain or anything like that. It's just that, unfortunately, I'm not able to do baseball activities. The goal is to minimize the time missed. It's more beneficial to miss a little time now than a long time down the road." Braun said he wasn't sure whether he'd be able to play in the upcoming four-game series against Cincinnati. "I hope so," he said. "I honestly don't know." Braun did say if he can't play against the Reds, he would pull out of the All-Star Game. He was voted by the fans for the fourth consecutive year to start in the National League outfield.

Best guess, reading between the lines? With the ASG coming up, Braun won't push it. That means he'll miss eight games for an injury he describes as leaving him feeling "not in pain or anything like that." Yeah, we wondered a couple days ago whether Albert Pujols was coming back too soon. But we'll take that over nagging injuries that get treated and re-treated until something that could have cost a player one or two games ends up costing him a bunch.