The Milwaukee Brewers stand to lose Prince Fielder to free agency, but never expected to be without Ryan Braun for 50 games.

That appears to be a distinct possibility for Brawn, who according to ESPN.com reports, tested positive for a performance enhancing drug.

Braun, who won the 2011 National League MVP Award, is disputing the result through arbitration. If it is upheld, he will face a 50-game suspension. However, Major League Baseball has never overturned the result of a PED test.

The 28-year-old Braun had to provide a urine sample for testing during the playoffs, and he was notified of the positive test sometime in late October — about a month before he was named the league’s MVP.

The positive result was triggered by elevated levels of testosterone in Braun’s system, the sources also told "Outside the Lines." A subsequent, more comprehensive test revealed the testosterone was synthetic — not produced by Braun’s body.

Braun, 28, batted .332 with a .994 OPS, 33 home runs and 111 RBI in 150 games this year. He posted an .866 OPS and hit only 25 home runs in 2010, somewhat of a down season for the slugging left fielder.

The Brewers signed Braun to a five-year, $105 million contract extension in April, adding to a previous eight-year pact that he inked with Milwaukee in May of 2008. He’s under team control through 2021.