Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich will miss time due to lower back inflammation and was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday, the team announced. It's the second time he was sent to the IL this season with a back issue. Lower back problems have plagued Yelich for much of his career.
Yelich was in a slump and the Brewers stuck him to designated hitting duties for seven consecutive games before shutting him down. He exited Tuesday's win over the Chicago Cubs in the eighth inning after a pair of walks and a groudout.
Throughout his 12-year MLB career, Yelich has spent time on the injured list with a back-related issue on six occasions. He did not sound very optimistic about his ability to return quickly from this latest setback.
“I don't really want to get into like the specifics of it, but yeah, not great,” Yelich said, per ESPN. “Go from there as far as what's going to be the best for the near future and into the future. A couple different discussions I think that need to be had.”
Yelich earned the third All-Star selection of his career this season and has been Milwaukee's best hitter when healthy. He's hitting .315 with 26 extra-base hits and 42 RBIs, adding 21 steals on the basepaths.
In a corresponding move, the Brewers reinstated catcher Gary Sanchez from the injured list. He'd been sidelined since June 24 with a calf strain.
Brewers planning for lengthy Yelich absence?
Back injuries are always tricky to figure out and set a timetable for. Given Yelich's comments, it doesn’t sound like the Brewers are expecting a clear answer as to whether their star outfielder will be back this season anytime soon. That leaves Milwaukee with some questions to answer over the next week with the trade deadline looming.
Without Yelich in the lineup, the Brewers do not have a qualified hitter with an OPS above .800 and no outfielders with an OPS above .700. Milwaukee can’t expect to win when it matters most with that type of production.
As a first-place team, the Brewers are expected to make some sort of move before the July 30 trade deadline. While it may not always be significant, Milwaukee does tend to be involved in trade discussions around this time regardless of where the team stands, though the Brewers have typically been a winning team ahead of the deadline in recent years.
Milwaukee holds a five-game lead in the NL Central entering Wednesday. That could be gone in a matter of 10 days and the Brewers haven’t exactly been world-beaters in July, although they have won three of four coming out of the All-Star break.
If they don’t acquire offensive help via trade, Milwaukee needs its young guns to step up, particularly in the outfield. Sal Frelick is a name to watch. The 2021 first-rounder is hitting .294 over his last 30 games.
The bottom line is the Brewers will miss Christian Yelich and the thought of having to finish the season without him is crushing. His last IL stint lasted less than a month. That might be the best-case scenario with this latest ailment.
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