But not for long.

Braun, Milwaukee's All-Star left fielder, never took the bat off his shoulder in two plate appearances against the Dodgers and then left the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with what a team spokesperson termed "right side stiffness." Braun has been dealing with that ailment for about 10 days, and it's a recurrence of the problem that dogged him last August and September.

But how serious is his most recent flare-up? Nobody was quite able to answer that question, including Braun, who admitted he is not 100 percent healthy but repeatedly told reporters that he was "fine."

That's not good enough for club officials, who are considering sending Braun to the doctor for a battery of tests. They want to know exactly what's going on with his lower back.

"We'll have more for you [on Thursday]," said assistant general manager Gord Ash, leaving his on-the-record comment at that.

Braun won a starting spot on the National League All-Star team last season and batted .300 with 30 home runs in the 114 games before he strained one of the muscles at the back of the right side of his ribcage. The muscle in question was one of the intercostals, small muscles between the ribs.

He kept quiet about the extent to which he was hurting, but the injury clearly affected his swing. Braun batted .238 after Aug. 9 with seven home runs in his final 37 games, and three of those homers came during the Brewers' final six games.

Hence the concern about his latest setback. Braun, who was not sure whether he would start Thursday against the Rangers, did his best to downplay his injury.

"I'm all good," Braun said, fighting off a mysterious smile. "I'm serious. [Manager Ken Macha] took me out. He wanted to give me two at-bats and that was it."

Asked why he thought the Brewers would report otherwise, Braun said, "I don't know. You have to ask them."

Macha said head athletic trainer Roger Caplinger checked in with Braun during the middle innings Wednesday and did not like the answer he got. It was Caplinger who made the call to yank Braun from the game.

"Roger said he wanted him out of the game," Macha said. "I don't want the guy to get hurt. So if he's tight, [he's coming out]. I didn't talk to him. He didn't swing the bat. He stood there for [nine] pitches and walked twice."

It would be very bad news for the Brewers if this injury lingers, but Braun did not seem worried before taking the field on Wednesday. He said the current injury "is in the same place, but it's far less severe" than the intercostal strain that he played through in 2008.

"It's a little scary because it's similar to last year," Braun said. "But the good thing is that I know what to expect, I know how to deal with it and get back on the field. It's not where it needs to be yet."

Braun started against the Dodgers as part of an Opening Day-caliber Brewers lineup and figured to get plenty of at-bats over Milwaukee's final 11 exhibition games. Now it appears that his lingering ribcage injury could have something to say about that.

Braun swung somewhere gingerly in batting practice Wednesday and then took every pitch he saw during two plate appearances against Dodgers starter Eric Stults. Braun walked in the first inning on four pitches and then walked again on five pitches in the third, scoring on Mike Cameron's three-run home run.

Asked why he did not swing the bat, Braun said he did not get any good pitches to hit. He was replaced by pinch-hitter Brad Nelson in the bottom of the fourth inning, and Nelson went out to left field to start the fifth.

Braun is playing a bit of catch-up with his Brewers teammates in terms of Spring Training at-bats. Braun played three games and went 3-for-9 before departing for the Classic, where he went 8-for-21 (.381), including a 1-for-4 performance on Sunday in Team USA's tournament-ending loss to Japan.

Compare Braun's 30 at-bats this spring to the rest of the Brewers' regulars and you see he's only slightly behind. Prince Fielder, J.J. Hardy and Corey Hart each had 44-45 at-bats entering play Wednesday.

"I've actually felt really good," Braun said earlier Wednesday. "I feel like I've been swinging the bat well, seeing the ball well, so I don't feel like I'm that far behind."

Braun was happy to return to Maryvale Baseball Park for the first time since March 1. Third-base coach Brad Fischer reintroduced Braun to his teammates by calling him before the team for the daily Q-and-A usually reserved for prospects. Braun, never intimidated by a crowd, answered questions for 5-10 minutes before the team stretched.

Very quickly, it began to feel normal again.

"I'm looking forward to getting back into my regular routine," Braun said. "You can get your workouts in, your conditioning, and all of the little things that kind of become secondary when you're playing in a tournament like we were. I'm excited to get my body back to where it needs to be, and it's great to be back with the guys. It feels like reporting to Spring Training all over again."

Off the field, Braun is also busy. He was set to launch his line of designer T-shirts at a Scottsdale, Ariz., shopping mall on Saturday in a public event that will feature Hardy and Mike Cameron and fellow Major Leaguers Derrek Lee of the Cubs, Grady Sizemore of the Indians and Andre Ethier of the Dodgers.

The event is from 6-9 p.m. PT at Nordstrom, 7055 E. Camelback Road in Scottsdale.