SURPRISE, Ariz. -- For very different reasons, Brewers slugger Ryan Braun and starter Yovani Gallardo will make their next appearances in Minor League camp.

Braun, who underwent an MRI scan on Friday to investigate the tightness at the back of his rib cage, is slated to play a Triple-A game on Saturday at Maryvale Baseball Park and might remain in the Minors until the injury subsides, a move that protects the team in the event Braun needs time on the disabled list. Gallardo will start the Triple-A game against the Angels' top affiliate on Sunday in a move designed simply to hide him from the Giants, the Brewers' opponent to begin the regular season.

The Braun situation is the more pressing concern for the Brewers. He exited Thursday's game against the Dodgers complaining of stiffness in his side, an injury similar to the one that bothered him late last season and recurred earlier this month during the World Baseball Classic. The MRI scan revealed no structural damage, but by restricting Braun from "A" games for now, the Brewers leave open the option of a backdated stint on the disabled list for Braun should his injury become more severe. In that event, he would only have to miss the first four games of the regular season under Major League rules.

Braun does not believe that will be necessary.

"I just feel like I need at-bats," he said. "It doesn't really matter where I get them."

The same is true, in a way, for Gallardo, who is scheduled to pitch the middle of three Brewers games in San Francisco from April 7-9. Instead of sending Gallardo to the mound for his regular turn in the rotation on Sunday, Brewers manager Ken Macha plans to make Sunday a "bullpen game." He did not reveal which reliever would start.

Macha's switch was prompted by Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who moved Randy Johnson to a Minor League game and will instead start Joe Martinez against the Brewers. Johnson is scheduled to face Gallardo on April 8.

"If they would have had their guy pitch, I probably would have had mine pitch," Macha said. "I don't know. It's hard for me to figure out whether a pitcher learns more about a hitter or a hitter learns more against the pitcher."

Macha suggests that, to avoid this type of situation, that future Spring Training schedules are altered to limit the number of intra-league games during the final week. In other words, instead of the Brewers-Giants and Royals-Mariners games on Sunday, the Giants should host the American League's Royals and the Brewers should travel to play the Mariners.