The Milwaukee Brewers anticipate Christian Yelich will be back in the lineup for Friday's game against the Washington Nationals, according to Brewers beat writer Curt Hogg. The Brewers are trying to outlast the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central title and ensure a home playoff series.

Yelich has not played since Sept. 8, missing six games with lower back stiffness. The 2018 MVP started the month with a rough stretch of 3-29, and his back may have impacted his play. However, Yelich has otherwise had a nice season for the Brewers. While he isn't back up to his MVP numbers, hit batting average is up to its highest level since 2019, at .274. He has 17 homers in 2023 and sports an OPS+ of 117.

That's not necessarily elite, but the Brewers need him back in the lineup. They lead the Cubs by 4.5 games in the NL Central. Fortunately, Milwaukee did manage to go 4-2 in Yelich's absence. They enter the home stretch of the season 82-64, with five remaining series on the schedule. They wrap up the 2023 regular season with three home games against the Cubs.

In his MVP season, Christian Yelich slashed .326/.402/.598 with 36 homers. The following season, his only other All-Star campaign, virtually all of his offensive numbers improved significantly, and Yelich led the National League with a 179 OPS+.

Since those two great years, Yelich simply hasn't been the same player. His back problems have hampered him at times, but even when healthy, he has struggled to live up to his $215 million contract.

The Brewers have a 99.7% chance of making the playoffs, per ESPN. However, winning the division grants home field advantage in a three-game Wild Card series. Yelich's return hopes to boost the Brewers through the end of the season and capture that NL Central title.