MILWAUKEE – It’s been nearly a month since Brewers manager Pat Murphy asked rhetorically about slumping star Christian Yelich, “Where would you want me to hit him, seventh?”
That’s precisely where Yelich was penciled into Milwaukee’s original starting lineup for Tuesday’s 4-2 Brewers win over the Pirates at American Family Field, before a last-minute change bumped him back up to fifth. That adjustment was prompted by first baseman Jake Bauers being scratched from the lineup with abdominal soreness that could sideline him for several more days.
Either way, it marked the first time that Yelich started a game batting below the cleanup spot this season. He has not started a game batting below the five-hole since 2015 with the Marlins.
After an 0-for-4 night Tuesday, Yelich has three singles in his last 29 at-bats.
“I heard a couple of fans today started getting down on Yelich,” Murphy said after the game. “He doesn’t need my protection. He doesn’t need me to speak up for him. He needs encouragement. So I’m asking fans to understand. Remember who this guy was, you know what I mean? I don’t know how many MVPs there are in Brewers history. Let’s not forget what he’s done. And that doesn’t give him a grace to not perform. If he’s in the lineup, he’s got to perform, and he will. But we just can’t start piling on when this guy has done a lot.
“He deserves the respect. And hopefully, hopefully, our fans understand that. If we’re going to thread the needle, we’re going to need Yelich.”
Murphy said before the game that he made the decision without anybody’s permission, but he did discuss the proposed change with Yelich as the Brewers, MLB’s first 70-win team this season, sought to spark a lineup that ranks fifth in the Majors in runs scored with a blend of plate discipline, contact and speed, but has gone quiet at the top.
Going into Tuesday night, Milwaukee’s Nos. 1-4 hitters had combined for a .633 OPS since the All-Star break, which ranked 28th of MLB’s 30 teams. Brice Turang (1-for-5), Jackson Chourio (3-for-4, run scored, home run, two RBIs) and William Contreras (2-for-4, run scored) helped boost those numbers a bit.
Thus the drop for Yelich, whose OPS slipped under .700 for the first time this season with an 0-for-4 night Monday.
The 34-year-old has shown he still has plenty left in the tank, making the All-Star Game starting lineup in 2024 before a season-ending back surgery, then returning in ‘25 to hit .264/.343/.452 with 29 home runs and 103 RBIs. But after posting a 1.018 OPS in his first 10 games this season, it’s been a struggle.
What told Murphy it was time to shake up the lineup?
“I think there comes a point that you want something to change, you want something to spark, you want a different direction,” Murphy said. “Sometimes you contemplate it for a while and then there’s a moment that happens – I can’t tell you exactly, but there’s a moment that happens. I could tell you, but that’s too personal. But there’s a moment you say, ‘You know what? This is what’s best for the team.’”