MILWAUKEE -- Already missing two hitters from the top of their starting lineup, the Brewers have a new concern: Christian Yelich was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left groin strain on Tuesday, two days after he exited an 8-6 loss to Nationals early.
The initial projection is that Yelich will miss at least a month. The Brewers said they anticipate a "mid- to late-May return" for the 34-year-old designated hitter.
“I’m not going to put a timeline on it,” Yelich said. “Just going to try to attack the rehab as good as I can and get back out there as soon as possible.”
The club called up infielder/outfielder Greg Jones to take Yelich's place on the active roster and shifted left-hander Rob Zastryzny to the 60-day IL to clear a 40-man roster spot for Jones.
Initially, the Brewers thought it was a hamstring injury, and Yelich didn’t consider it overly serious at first. He felt tightness after grounding out in his first at-bat on Sunday, and wasn’t able to get loose before grounding out again in his second at-bat. That’s when the Brewers opted for caution and removed him from the game, initially diagnosing him with hamstring tightness.
Further tests revealed a Grade 2 strain to the left adductor, according to the club. It’s the first time he’s dealt with a soft tissue injury to his lower body, he said.
“Obviously, it’s frustrating,” Yelich said.
Yelich has been one of the Brewers’ steadiest hitters this season, with a .314/.375/.451 slash line.
“He wanted to stay in the game,” manager Pat Murphy said. “But just like everything else, we have to be careful with these guys. It’s April 12, and we’ve got a lot of injuries.”
It was a clear sign of trouble when Gary Sánchez pinch-hit for Yelich against a right-hander with one out in the fifth inning and the Brewers leading, 3-2. In each of his two previous at-bats in the game, Yelich hit ground balls to second base.
The good news for the Brewers was that it wasn’t his back. Yelich has a history of back trouble and underwent surgery in August 2024 that he hoped would provide a more permanent fix. He returned healthy in ‘25 to play 150 games, mostly as Milwaukee’s DH, and hit .264/.343/.452 with 29 homers and 103 RBIs – his first 100-RBI season since winning the 2018 NL MVP Award.
The Brewers cannot afford to lose many more hitters, since they already are without left fielder Jackson Chourio, who is recovering from a left hand fracture at the base of his middle finger, and first baseman Andrew Vaughn, who is recovering from surgery to remove a fractured hamate bone in his left hand. Chourio is closest to returning, but he is still several weeks away.
“It’s part of the Major League season,” Murphy said. “You can show a lot of character right now.”