Milwaukee Brewers Outfielder Christian Yelich Dealing With Problematic Back Injury

Christian Yelich got pinch hit for in the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night, all because the Milwaukee Brewers All-Star was suffering from back tightness.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (22) runs after hitting a single during their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee Brewers All-Star Christian Yelich left Tuesday night's contest against the Chicago Cubs due to back tightness, the team announced.

Yelich, who was serving as Milwaukee's designated hitter, made three plate appearances before getting subbed out. He drew two walks before grounding out in the sixth, and Rhys Hoskins pinch-hit for him the next time he was due up in the eighth.

When manager Pat Murphy was asked for his thoughts on Yelich's injury, he didn't sound particularly optimistic.

"My thoughts are 'Oh sh*t' – can I say that?" Murphy said. "Those are my thoughts."

#Brewers Manager Pat Murphy’s initial thoughts on Christian Yelich’s injury Tuesday night vs. Chicago👇

“My thoughts are oh sh*t. Can I say that?” pic.twitter.com/d7EgdWeXf8

— Andrew Ludwig (@ALudwigSports) July 24, 2024

As noted by The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Curt Hogg, Yelich had been dealing with back flareups over the past few days.

Yelich already suffered a lower back strain in April, costing him nearly a month of action. After missing those 23 consecutive games, though, Yelich had only missed four of the Brewers' next 66 contests.

The 32-year-old outfielder has been enjoying a resurgent 2024 campaign, making his first All-Star appearance since 2019. He currently leads the National League with a .315 batting average and .415 on-base percentage, five years removed from his back-to-back batting titles in 2018 and 2019.

Yelich's .504 slugging percentage and .909 OPS are also the highest they've been since 2019, when he finished runner-up in the NL MVP race. He won NL MVP in 2018, leading the league in both categories.

Through 73 games this season, Yelich has racked up 11 home runs, 42 RBI, 21 stolen bases and a 2.4 WAR. He recently became one of five active MLB players to hit 200 career home runs and steal 200 career bases.

It remains to be seen if Yelich will need to hit the injured list again, or if he will be able to rejoin the Brewers' lineup for Wednesday's finale against the Cubs. First pitch at Wrigley Field is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. ET.

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