Brewers activate Yelich from IL, option Black to Triple-A

MILWAUKEE – After getting Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn back from the injured list during their last road trip, now Christian Yelich is back for the Brewers, too.

Milwaukee activated its star outfielder from the 10-day injured list and he went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts and one hard lineout in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Padres at American Family Field, marking the first time all season that Milwaukee had all of its regulars available to play.

“We haven’t been too healthy all year, so it’s kind of nice that we have a lot of the guys back and we have a lot of the season left to play,” Yelich said. “We have to keep playing well, and hopefully that starts today.”

The team optioned first baseman/outfielder Tyler Black to Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move.

“It’s sure a good feeling to have ‘Yeli’ back,” said manager Pat Murphy, who had Chourio and Yelich in Tuesday’s starting lineup and Vaughn available off the bench. “He means so much to our team, and playing without him is never a good feeling.”

Having that trio sidelined – Chourio and Vaughn with fractured left hands and Yelich with a strained groin – meant the Brewers have played most of this season without three of the top five hitters in the regular lineup (Vaughn and Jake Bauers split time at first base).

Credit the team, Murphy says, for hanging in there. The Brewers went into this series against San Diego six games over .500, matching their high point of the season. But those losses were felt in the power department, where the Brewers ranked last in the Majors in home runs going into Tuesday’s games.

“You have to find a way to win every night with whoever is going out there,” said hitting coach Daniel Vogelbach. “It’s not like there is an asterisk next to that month, like, ‘Well, they didn’t have anybody.' Those games still count, you know? I think it’s a testament to the culture we have that the guys find a way to win.”

Does he expect more power now that the lineup is intact?

“You run into a slippery slope when you start chasing power,” Vogelbach said. “This game is about knowing who you are. I think for us, it’s just getting better at taking what the game gives us. That’s not just us, that’s what the best teams in baseball do. When that runner’s on third with less than two outs, find a way to get him in.

“That’s what separates the good teams from great teams. That’s what can separate us from the rest of the league.”

Yelich had been sidelined since April 13 with a left groin strain. Before then, he had a .314/.375/.451 slash line with one homer and 10 RBIs through his first 15 games this season. Despite missing 23 games, Yelich returns to the Brewers without going on a rehab assignment, though he did get some live at-bats against rehabbing relievers Rob Zastryzny and J.B. Bukauskas on Monday.

“It was all good,” Yelich said.

Black, who made his season debut on April 24, has played in nine games this season. He’s batting .333 (9-for-27) with an .838 OPS.

Now the Brewers will have a chance to better show what they can do as an offense.

“We’re still finding ourselves,” Murphy said. “I think it’s hard to evaluate a lot of the numbers in small increments, but certainly we weren’t as confident as we’ve been at times. I think it’s good timing to get those guys back, because our road is very, very difficult.”

The Brewers got off to a good start to this stretch by sweeping the Yankees over the weekend before welcoming the NL West-leading Padres. The Cubs and Dodgers await next week.

“We still have a long way to go in the season and we’re in a fine spot,” Yelich said. “We have a long, long time to go. A lot of games in front of us. Hopefully we can keep the guys healthy and keep playing well.”