Milwaukee Brewers officials are taking a wait-and-see approach with star outfielder Christian Yelich, who has been dealing with back stiffness that may require a stint on the injured list.
The team has given Yelich two consecutive days off to address the back issues, with Friday’s evaluation expected to determine his immediate future. Yelich had just returned from missing 24 games with a left groin injury when he played Tuesday against the visiting San Diego Padres, going hitless in four at-bats during Milwaukee’s 6-4 victory.
Following Tuesday’s contest, Yelich developed back stiffness that kept him sidelined for Wednesday’s defeat and Thursday’s win that concluded the series against San Diego. Team officials believe the current problem stems from back surgery the player had in August 2024.
Manager Pat Murphy provided an update after Thursday’s 7-1 triumph over San Diego, saying, “He felt much better today. We’ll find out a lot more (Friday). I think (Friday) will be kind of a telling tale whether he needs a longer break.”
Milwaukee begins a three-game road series against the Minnesota Twins on Friday in Minneapolis.
Murphy explained that similar issues occurred previously, noting, “He had the same thing last year. If you talked to his doctor, they would tell you the same thing, that this is going to happen from time to time. Do you know anybody with back surgery that absolutely has no problems with their back? That’s just not how it is.”
The 34-year-old Yelich has posted a .291 batting average this season with a .350 on-base percentage and .418 slugging percentage, along with one home run and 10 RBIs across 16 games.
The three-time All-Star earned National League Most Valuable Player honors in 2018 and carries career statistics of a .285/.374/.464 batting line with 234 home runs, 861 RBIs and 224 stolen bases over 1,632 games.
Yelich spent his early career with the Miami Marlins from 2013-17 before joining Milwaukee via trade in January 2018.
