MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers are facing a decision point with designated hitter Christian Yelich, who missed a second straight game on Thursday because of back tightness which flared up in the wake of his first game off a monthlong stint on the injured list for a left groin strain.
“He felt much better today. We’ll find out a lot more [Friday],” manager Pat Murphy said. “I think [Friday] will be kind of a telling tale whether he needs a longer break.”
Yelich and the Brewers have a good feel for navigating these bouts, which date back to his days with the Marlins. Yelich had back surgery in August 2024 to address the issue, but doctors warned him to expect minor flare-ups here and there.
Yelich’s IL stint this season had nothing to do with the back. He went down April 12 with a left groin strain and was able to get back into action without a Minor League rehab assignment. Yelich went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts in his return to the Brewers on Friday night before being absent from the lineup on Wednesday and Thursday.
“He feels awful about it,” Murphy said. “He’s so responsible to this organization, cares so much about his role and those types of things. He’s pushing to get back, but we’re going to make sure he’s OK, because we want him for the majority of the season, not just these few games.
“We’re going to do everything we can, whatever we need to do, to make sure he’s 100 percent.”
That’s why this weekend series against the Twins at Target Field is important. If the Brewers think Yelich is close, they will avoid a 10-day IL move and hope he can recover in time for the first matchup of the season against the Cubs at Wrigley Field beginning on Monday.
“He had the same thing last year,” Murphy said. “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.”