The Milwaukee Brewers will be without All-Star outfielder Christian Yelich the rest of 2024. On Thursday, Yelich and the Brewers announced he will have season-ending back surgery performed by Dr. Brandon Rebholz on Friday. He has not played since July 23 and initially attempted to rehab his injury. Yelich expects to be ready for next season.
"After careful consideration and consultation with medical personnel, I have decided to undergo season-ending back surgery," Yelich said in a statement. "I ultimately felt it was in the best interest of myself and the Brewers to have the surgery with the expectation of being back at 100% for next season. We have a very special team here and it will be disappointing not to be able to contribute on the field down the stretch. However, I have the utmost confidence in my teammates and will be cheering them on with all of you, the great fans of Milwaukee. Thank you for all your support. Go Brewers!"
Officially, Yelich is on the injured list with what the Brewers called lower back inflammation. He saw a spine specialist last month and opted to go the non-surgical route, but his back did not improve enough through rehab, so he'll have surgery.
Yelich, 32, has a history of back injuries and every so often misses a game or two when it flares up. He has gone on the injured list with a back issue six times in his major-league career, including four times since 2021. Prior to going on the injured list, Yelich played each of his last seven games at DH. It was clear he and the Brewers were trying to manage an injury.
The injury ended a tremendous bounceback season for Yelich, who slashed .315/.406/.504 with 11 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 73 games. That works out to a 152 OPS+, meaning Yelich was 52% better than the league average hitter once adjusted for ballpark and other factors. From 2020-23, he authored a 111 OPS+, which is very good but not elite.
Without Yelich, the Brewers lack an impact left-handed bat. They have several lefties in their regular lineup -- Jake Bauers, Tyler Black, Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang -- though that fivesome has combined for a .243/.322/.354 batting line in 2024. Milwaukee sought a lefty bat to replace Yelich at the July 30 trade deadline, but came up empty.
The Brewers have leaned on rookie Jackson Chourio, Mitchell, and Frelick as their regular outfield from left to right since Yelich's injury and that is a dynamite defensive group. At this point in his career, Yelich grades out as a below average defender. His injury hurt Milwaukee's offense significantly, but it also improved their defense a great deal.
Thursday's come-from-behind win (MIL 6, LAD 4) improved the Brewers to 11-9 since Yelich last played. They are 69-52 overall and have a nine-game lead in the NL Central -- that is the largest division lead in baseball -- and are well-positioned to return to the postseason.
This is Year 5 of the nine-year, $215 million contract extension Yelich signed in March 2020. He's owed $26 million annually from 2025-28. The contract also includes a $20 million mutual option for 2029.
