Branyan to DL

Sometimes this team just makes no sense to me....

Russell Branyan was sent to the DL and Laynce Nix was called up today. Apparently The Muscle has the same injury as Braun does. Of course, we're not making a decision about Braun and the DL yet.

And why Layne Nix? His numbers in AAA are decent (284/.348/.539/.887 with 23 HR), but he has not done well when up in the majors. I guess it's not a huge difference whether it's him or Tony Gwynn Jr and Nix is a better corner infielder option to cover for Braun. Plus, Gwynn's not been hitting very well down in Nashville.

This explains why Branyan has been riding the pine while Counsell's been playing and hitting third (!) in the lineup.

There are some questions on how long Branyan has been injured. I get that this is one of those situations in which you really don't know what the problem is, but Branyan's been sitting since the All-Star Break. Why not DL him and get another guy up? Seems strange.

Branyan's barely played lately, leading me to believe he's been injured for awhile, though they say he tweaked it in BP last night.

I'm sure it's Laynce Nix over TGJ or Dillon because he will basically fill the same role as Branyan - a lefty pinch hitter with some power off the bench.

It's also likely a trial for Nix. He hasn't done well in the majors in the past and now he's putting up respectable numbers in Nashville, so it's time to prove he deserves a spot on the team in the future. He'll platoon with Kapler in left and doing some pinch hitting.