Christian Yelich Homers, Steals A Base On Wednesday
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich turned in a big game in a 17-2 blowout win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. Yelich went 2-for-5 with a homer, two runs, two RBI, and a steal to help lead his team to the win. The veteran outfielder ripped a solo homer to center field as part of a seven-run ninth inning. Yelich is off to a quiet start in 2025, hitting just .171 with three homers, six runs, eight RBI, and three steals across 41 at-bats. Patience is key here as Yelich has a long track record of being a starting-caliber fantasy outfielder.
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich will retreat to the bench on Wednesday for the series finale against the visiting Kansas City Royals at American Family Field with left-hander Cole Ragans on the mound. With Yelich getting a breather, Isaac Collins will serve as the designated hitter for Milwaukee and will hit third in the batting order. The 33-year-old Yelich has gotten off to a slow start in 2025 after undergoing offseason back surgery, going 2-for-16 in his first five games, but he did hit his first long ball of the year on Tuesday night. It's still early in the season and it was nice to see Yelich go yard on Tuesday, but the Brewers could continue to give him built-in off days, especially against left-handers, as they ease him in from his offseason back procedure. Collins, 27, has gone 3-for-6 in four games in the early going with two doubles and a run scored for the Brewers and is in a nice lineup spot on Wednesday.
Christian Yelich Hits First Homer Of Season, Steals Base Tuesday
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich had an overall productive game offensively in Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Royals. Yelich went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two RBI, and a walk. He also stole his second base of the season. The 33-year-old clubbed an eighth-inning John Schreiber cutter deep over the right-center wall for his first long ball of the season. It was an encouraging game for Yelich, who is slashing just .125/.300/.313 in his first 20 plate appearances of the season. Fantasy managers shouldn't be worried about Yelich's performance this early in the season, as health is his key issue. He has been a solid fantasy contributor when on the field throughout his career. Hopefully, this game can help get him going.
Christian Yelich Returning To Outfield On Wednesday
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) is scheduled to play around four innings in left field on Wednesday in the Cactus League game against the Chicago White Sox, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. It's the first time that Yelich will test his surgically-repaired back in the outfield this spring. There's always plenty of inherent risk taking a player in fantasy drafts coming off serious back surgery -- he had surgery last August to fix a herniated disc in his lower back -- but at least with Yelich, we know that he has MVP upside when he's right. If his back surgery fixes his chronic back problems, fantasy managers could have a steal on their hands. The former 23rd overall pick of the Miami Marlins in 2010 is a three-time All-Star and former MVP, and he was hitting .315 (85-for-270) with 11 homers, 42 RBI and 21 steals in only 73 games last year before he was shut down.
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) will make his spring debut on Saturday afternoon against the Texas Rangers. Yelich underwent a microdiscectomy procedure in August to address a herniated disc in his lower back. The 33-year-old was shut down after this operation in August. However, seeing him return early in spring training suggests he should have a great opportunity to be a full-go in time for Opening Day. Before the injury last season, Yelich was on pace to enjoy a strong campaign as he held a .315/.406/.504 slash line with 12 doubles, 11 home runs, and 21 stolen bases. He generated an elite .373 xwOBA with a strong 12.7 percent walk rate. When healthy, fantasy managers should expect Yelich to have an everyday role in left field and bat near the top of the Milwaukee lineup.
Christian Yelich Expected To Make Cactus League Debut In March
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) took batting practice on the field at camp on Monday morning, and manager Pat Murphy thinks Yelich will make his Cactus League debut once the calendar flips to March. The Brewers are understandably taking it slow with Yelich early in spring training after he had a microdiscectomy to fix a herniated disc in his lower back last August, but he's coming along nicely and should be ready for Opening Day in late March, barring a setback. The 33-year-old veteran left-handed hitter has had ongoing back issues in recent seasons, but hopefully his procedure last year will correct everything moving forward. There's obvious risk from a fantasy perspective from such a surgery, but it helps to know that the former MVP was hitting .315 with 11 homers, 42 RBI and 21 steals in 73 games before he was shut down last year. Yelich is RotoBaller's No. 27 outfielder in 2025.
Christian Yelich Expects To Be Ready For Opening Day
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) is in camp and said that his rehab from back surgery is on schedule. Yelich added that there's no reason to think that he won't be ready for Opening Day in late March. The 33-year-old veteran outfielder had a microdiscectomy to fix a herniated disc in his lower back last August and will be taking things slowly at spring training, but barring a setback, he should be ready to go for the start of the 2025 regular season. Chronic back issues have slowed the former MVP down over the years, but if the surgery he had last year completely fixed his problems, he could be a beast for fantasy managers. There's plenty of risk in his profile, but Yelich is still a top-30 outfielder after hitting .315/.406/.504 with a .909 OPS, 11 homers, 42 RBI and 21 steals in 73 games before he was shut down in 2024. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 27 fantasy outfielder for 2025.
Christian Yelich Not A Lock To Be Ready For Opening Day
MLB.com's Adam McCalvy writes that Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) isn't a lock to be ready for Opening Day in late March after having back surgery last August. When Yelich does make his return, it's a good bet that the Brewers will ease him in as the designated hitter often. The good news is Milwaukee has plenty of outfield depth if Yelich isn't ready right away. Specifically, the 33-year-old veteran outfielder had a microdiscectomy to fix a herniated disc in his lower back. The Brew Crew will ease Yelich in during spring training. Before being shut down with his back injury in 2024, the former MVP and three-time All-Star was raking, slashing .315/.406/.504 with a .909 OPS, 11 homers, 42 RBI, 21 steals and 44 runs scored in 73 games played. There's clear risk here for fantasy managers, but if Yelich bounces back to his pre-injury form, he'll be a steal. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 26 outfielder.
Christian Yelich Not Expected To Be 100% For Start Of Spring Training
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said that he doesn't think outfielder Christian Yelich (back) will be 100 percent at the start of spring training. Murphy added that he thinks Yelich will be ahead of right-hander Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) as far as being game-ready this spring. It's no surprise for the 33-year-old Yelich after he underwent a microdiscectomy procedure on his back last August to fix a herniated disc in his lower back. The Brewers will understandably take things slow with Yelich in camp, but the good news is that barring any setbacks with his back, he's expected to be ready to roll by Opening Day at the end of March. Injury risk with Yelich for fantasy managers is very clear, but it should be more reassuring that he was excellent before his back shut him down in 2024, as he hit .315/.406/.504 with 11 home runs and 21 steals in 73 games played. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 26 fantasy outfielder.
Christian Yelich Should Be Ready For Spring Training
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) hasn't resumed swinging a bat yet, but he's doing other baseball movements and should be ready to go early in spring training. "I think that was a big part of why he had the surgery sooner than later," general manager Matt Arnold said. "He's in a really good spot right now." Yelich's 2024 season ended early when he decided to have a microdiscectomy procedure to fix a herniated disc in his lower back. It's an injury that the 33-year-old veteran has dealt with for years, so the hope is that the surgery will alleviate those concerns moving forward. Although he only played in 73 games in 2024, Yelich made his third All-Star squad by hitting .315/.406/.504 with a .909 OPS, 11 homers, 42 RBI and 21 steals in 315 plate appearances. Yelich could be a league-winner if he can return to his MVP production, but his health is a big question mark.
Christian Yelich
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Brewers
