Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich hopes to avoid surgery as he tries to come back later this season from the lower back inflammation that put him on the injured list.
“I’ve dealt with back stuff for a while and been able to kind of manage it and get through it and find a way to be out there,” Yelich said Thursday before his annual charity event to benefit veterans and the Milwaukee community.
“We’re going to come up with a great plan, we’ve got some steps to try to rehab this thing along the way and really get back out there as soon as possible. Who knows when that’s going to be, how quick that can be? I’m hoping as quick as possible.”
Yelich has had back issues off and on for the last few seasons. The back problems have continued this year even though he made his third All-Star Game appearance.
Earlier this year, he missed about a month because of a lower back strain. He was replaced by a pinch hitter in the eighth inning of a 1-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday and went back on the injured list the next day.
Yelich has gone 0 for 9 since the All-Star break and 1 for 19 over his last six games while dealing with his back pain. Yelich said Wednesday that “everybody plays through stuff, but sometimes, you just can’t,” and added that “that’s kind of where we’re at at this point.”
The 2018 NL MVP met with a specialist Thursday morning and discussed a recovery plan.
“Obviously, I want to be the best version of myself for this year and going into the future and obviously get a handle on this thing so I can be out on the field as often as possible,” Yelich said.
Yelich has played a key role in helping the Brewers lead the NL Central after trading 2021 Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes and losing manager Craig Counsell to the Chicago Cubs in the offseason. The 32-year-old is batting .315 with a .406 on-base percentage, 11 homers, 42 RBIs, and 21 steals in 73 games.
