No Braun for series opener in Chicago

The Brewers just posted a lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, and left fielder Ryan Braun isn’t in it. Instead, the red-hot Casey McGehee, who leads the Majors with 17 RBIs this month, is hitting in the three-hole, and Frank Catalanotto is playing left field.

Entering the series, Braun is 5-for-23 (.217) against Cubs starter Ryan Dempster. Catalanotto is 2-for-4. We’ll have to see whether Braun or manager Ken Macha says the decision to sit Braun tonight is health-related.

Prince Fielder is in the lineup as usual. He tied Cecil Cooper’s franchise record with RBI No. 126 on Sunday and will try to break the record this week.

Here’s the lineup:

Felipe Lopez  2B
Craig Counsell  SS
Casey McGehee 3B
Prince Fielder  1B
Mike Cameron  CF
Jody Gerut  RF
Jason Kendall  C
Frank Catalanotto  LF
Jeff Suppan  RHP

Counsell at shortstop is interesting because it means that both J.J. Hardy and Alcides Escobar are on the bench.  Hardy is 2-for-27 (.074) against Dempster.