They seemed like simple tasks, shaking hands and handing out bags of bobble heads, or even handling his phone to show off pictures of his daughter, but for Ryan Braun, the Hunger Task Force food drive he participated in outside Miller Park in late November was a small victory.

"Right now I don’t feel anything and I haven’t been able to say that for two years," he said then. "I think I’ve told you guys before, but it would hurt shaking hands, writing, do regular just every day activities, and I don’t feel it, at all. So I’m excited about that."

After undergoing multiple cryotherapy procedures on his right thumb at the end of the 2014 season, the 31-year-old right fielder was optimistic that he was indeed, healthy.

Braun had done some early hitting immediately after the procedures to get a feel for, well, the feel of his thumb, and it went well.

But, even three months ago, he was realistic.

"I mean, I’m not concerned," he said in November. "I’m excited. But at the same time I went into last year and I felt really good in spring training, the first four, five weeks, felt great, played great and kind of re-injured it. But also last year we just rested. We didn’t do a procedure. We didn’t do anything on it. So, like I said, I’m optimistic and I’m excited but I think I have to be at least somewhat cautiously optimistic and see how it responds once we start playing every day."

Fast forward just over three months, and another test is about to begin.

The Milwaukee Brewers begin their spring training schedule on Wednesday with a contest against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and then start up with major league opponents on Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

"I’m excited about it," he said told the gathered media in Phoenix last week. "So far it feels great. As I said when I met with you guys a few weeks ago in Milwaukee (at Brewers On Deck in January) everything so far has gone as well as I could have possibly hoped, so hopefully the next few weeks continue to do the same and we can stop talking about it at some point in the near future."

Braun smiled as he finished his thought, but unfortunately the question will linger at least through the first few months of the 2015 regular season.

He felt good through the spring last year and opened the 2014 campaign by hitting .327 (with a .962 OPS) and nine homer with 28 driven in through the first 39 games of the season.

But beginning June 2 through the end of the year (96 games) he hit .241 with just 10 home runs. He also did not homer after Sept. 11.

In all, 2014 turned out to be Braun’s worst statistical season of his career in which he played at least 100 games.

The last two years (2013 was interrupted by injury and suspension) have been the worst of his career, and Braun admitted it has been a struggle to get through.

"It’s challenging," he said. "It’s a difficult game to start with. It’s a game that we deal with a lot of adversity and a lot failure, but individually and as a team and when you deal with it individually it’s not fun. There’s moments that are still enjoyable, moments that are rewarding, but it becomes that much more difficult. when things aren't going well. Certainly its been tough."

And, opening day of 2015 marks another year removed from the 2012 season in which he led the National League in home runs (41), runs (108) and drove in 112 runs while finishing second in the MVP voting.

But, he also said he the last time his thumb felt good was late in the 2012, and he injured it on a pitch from Cardinals starter Joe Kelly on Sept. 9 in St. Louis.

From that point on, Braun still hit well (.361) but homered just three times over his final 24 games.

Braun feels that if he’s as healthy as he was in 2012, he’ll have that same type of season.

"That’s the biggest key to success," he said of being healthy. "I’ve always felt that as long as I’m healthy, success is inevitable. So, I think most of us as players would feel the same way. As long as I’m healthy I expect to go out there, be productive and do the things that I’ve alway done."

Editor’s note: Ryan Braun’s press conference on Feb. 25 was accessed via MLBPressbox.com.