Fastball

Milwaukee Brewers' Former MVP to Make Triumphant Return to Lineup on Saturday

Former MVP Christian Yelich, who underwent back surgery last July, is set to make his return to the Brewers lineup on Saturday as they take on the Texas Rangers.

Brady Farkas

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich throws during spring training workouts Saturday, February 15, 2025, at the American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich throws during spring training workouts Saturday, February 15, 2025, at the American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. / Dave Kallmann / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Milwaukee Brewers star Christian Yelich will make his return to the lineup on Saturday afternoon as the Brewers take on the Texas Rangers inside Cactus League play. He's serving as the designated hitter and batting second.

It will mark Yelich's first game action since he underwent season-ending back surgery in July of 2024.

Getting Yelich healthy will be a big boon for the Brewers, who won the National League Central last season but just lost Willy Adames to the San Francisco Giants in free agency.

Yelich, who just turned 33, has dealt with back issues over the last several years so the hope is that this surgery fixes the issue once and for all. He was in the midst of an excellent season before getting sidelined in 2024, hitting .315 with a .406 on-base percentage. He led the National League in both categories at the time he stepped out of the lineup in July. Yelich had 11 homers and 42 RBI while also stealing 21 bases.

The 2025 season will mark the 13th in the big leagues for Yelich, who has played with the Miami Marlins and Brewers. He won the MVP Award in 2019 and is a three-time All-Star. He is also a two-time batting champion, a Gold Glove Award winner and a three-time Silver Slugger.

The Brewers were eliminated in the wild card round of the playoffs last season and have never won the World Series.

Opening Day is set for March 27 as the Brewers play against the New York Yankees.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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