The Milwaukee Brewers clinched the season series with the Craig Counsell-led Chicago Cubs with a 1-0 win at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night. At 58-43, the Brewers hold a five-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals for first place in the National League Central Division. The Cubs fell to 49-54 and are tied for last in the division with the Cincinnati Reds.
Unfortunately, the win appears to have come at a massive cost for the Brewers. Outfielder Christian Yelich was removed from the game for pinch-hitter Rhys Hoskins late in the game. He had been dealing with back pain for some time.
On Wednesday, the Brewers made the expected, albeit disappointing decision to put Yelich on the injured list for the second time this season.
Milwaukee Brewers All-Star Christian Yelich Heads to the Injured List Again
On Wednesday morning, the Brewers announced that they were activating catcher Gary Sanchez from the 10-day injured list. He had previously suffered a hamstring strain that landed him on the IL.
In a corresponding move, the Brewers added Yelich to the 10-day IL:
C Gary Sánchez reinstated from the 10-day injured list.
OF Christian Yelich placed on the 10-day injured list with low back inflammation. pic.twitter.com/CgRzFlxE6h
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) July 24, 2024
According to Brewers insider Curt Hogg, this many not be a short stint for Yelich. Hogg states that the three-time All-Star used ominous language when discussing how he and the team plan on approaching his recovery:
Christian Yelich is headed to the IL. He will see a specialist in coming days to determine what’s next.
“Go from there as far as what’s gonna be the best for the near future and into the future. A couple different discussions I think that need to be had.”
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) July 24, 2024
From the sound of it, Yelich appears to be dealing with a very serious situation regarding his back. Mentioning both the near and long-term implications of their decisions may indicate that surgery is on the table. Such a move would surely end his 2023 season.
Milwaukee Brewers Outfield Christian Yelich Was Having a Rennaissance Season
Yelich rose to stardom in Milwaukee very quickly during his first season with the Brewers. In 2018, he hit .326/.402/.598 with 36 home runs and 110 RBI on his way to winning the National League MVP Award. The following year, he hit .329/.429/.679 with 44 home runs and 98 RBI while finishing second in MVP voting.
He won the NL batting title in both seasons.
Unfortunately, his 2019 season was cut short after he fouled a ball off of his kneecap, shattering it.
From 2020-2023, Yelich did not come anywhere close to being the MVP-caliber player he was during his first two seasons in Milwaukee, hitting just .254/.362/.407 during that timeframe while averaging 14 home runs, 52 RBI, and 15 stolen bases a season.
This year, though, the Yelich of old appeared to have returned, though with lower power numbers. He currently leads the NL in both batting average and on-base percentage, slashing .315/.406/.504 with 11 home runs, 42 RBI, and 21 stolen bases.
Losing Yelich for any amount of time is certainly a blow to the team, but losing for the rest of the year could affect what the team decides to do at the trade deadline.
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