PHOENIX -- The plan this spring was for Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez to play in more exhibition games than in the past in an attempt to avoid his habitual slow start to the season.

So much for that plan.

"It didn't work," Ramirez said. "Next year."

Ramirez won't be playing in games any time soon after spraining his left knee Saturday in a slide into second base. An MRI revealed there is no structural damage in the knee, but Ramirez expects to miss at least seven to 10 days and perhaps more.

"It might even be two weeks, but it's still early in spring training, so it's not that big a deal," he said Tuesday. "It's a lot better. The way it felt the other day I thought I would be on crutches right now. I was a little scared. It was pretty sore.

"I didn't know what to expect. But everything is coming back good. We'll have 15 days after (the absence) so there's still plenty of time."

Manager Ron Roenicke said he knew the day after Ramirez was injured that he wouldn't be back in action in the near future.

"I don't know how long these things usually take," Roenicke said. "It's not going to be a couple (of days), I know that. 'Rami' is a pretty tough guy, but it's not a time for him to be tough and get back in there sooner.

"He needs to make sure it's right. We wanted to give him a lot of at-bats this year to see if we could do something different and that's not going to happen."

With three and a half weeks remaining in camp, Roenicke said he's still confident that Ramirez will be back to 100 percent by opening day.

"I hate to say it's OK with anybody getting injured, but this is better now than if we do with a week to go in spring training," he said.

The Brewers already are filling in at first base after Mat Gamel was lost to another knee injury. And with Taylor Green off with Team Canada for the World Baseball Classic and Jeff Bianchi sidelined with a groin strain, the infield ranks are a bit thin.

Because he was slated to play for Italy in the WBC, Bianchi would have been gone in any event. He began experiencing groin tightness after playing Saturday and the decision was made to stay with the Brewers and receive treatment until he can play again.

"It's disappointing," said Bianchi, who qualified to play for Italy because his grandfather was from that country. "This happened Saturday and I told (TeamItaly) afterward. I was looking forward to it, but it's one of those things that just happens.

"Right now, I'm treating it and getting it better. It's a bummer. Basically, I'll just be here now with the Brewers instead of Italy. I'd rather be here with these guys and getting my work done here.

"I won't dwell on it.There's nothing I can do about it. I'll just take it day to day, and hopefully I'll be back soon. It's not the end of the world."

It helped that Bobby Crosby, attempting a comeback after two years away from baseball, recovered from a quadriceps strain and played for the first time in a 7-4 exhibition loss to Team Canada. Roenicke also has utility infield candidate Donnie Murphy as well as veteran Alex Gonzalez, who is playing some at first base.

"The timing is nice for (Crosby)," Roenicke said. "That helps with having enough infielders to cover it.

" 'Seggy' (shortstop Jean Segura) and (second baseman) Rickie (Weeks) are still playing basically two out of three (games). The middle is OK. We borrow guys (from the minors) every day, and we're going to have to borrow more guys."

Roenicke said Gonzalez "would get some innings" at third base but wanted him to concentrate more at first base, a completely new position.

"Third base is going to be easier for him than first base," Roenicke said. "I'll get him over at third."

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