CINCINNATI — Ryan Braun’s acknowledgment that he used performance-enhancing drugs was welcomed in the Milwaukee Brewers’ clubhouse, where players hope it helps to heal some of the pain caused by his actions and a resulting 65-game suspension.

“I thought it was a good first step on the road to redemption, I guess you could say,” catcher Jonathan Lucroy said Friday before the start of a series against the Cincinnati Reds.

Braun released a statement Thursday night acknowledging for the first time that he used a cream and a lozenge containing banned substances while recovering from an injury in 2011, when he won the National League’s MVP award.

Several Brewers, including Lucroy, have stayed in touch with Braun by phone since he agreed to Major League Baseball’s suspension on July 22. Lucroy expects Braun to have a news conference at some point to answer questions.

For now, the statement sufficed.

“It certainly was enough for me,” manager Ron Roenicke said. “I think it’s enough for his teammates. He’s made some calls to his teammates.

“I think no matter what he says, there’s going to be some negative from a lot of people still: `He didn’t say enough (or) he didn’t explain himself enough.’ I think he did. And I also think there are some things he probably still can’t say. As I read into how he said it, I think there are some things that probably he can’t bring up. That’s OK with me.”