Christian Yelich Will Miss At Least a Month

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich will likely miss at least one month due to an adductor strain. Yelich left the game in the fifth inning of Sunday’s 8-6 loss to the Washington Nationals after feeling tightness in his left hamstring. The Brewers placed him on the injured list Tuesday, retroactive to Monday, and confirmed he had a second-degree adductor strain.

Yelich expressed eagerness to recover quickly but did not set a specific return date. He emphasized focusing on rehabilitation to return as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Milwaukee called up infielder Greg Jones from Triple-A Nashville and transferred left-handed pitcher Rob Zastryzny to the 60-day injured list.

The injury occurred during Yelich’s at-bat in the first inning when he felt something was off while hitting a ground ball. He remained in the game but was replaced as a pinch hitter in the fifth inning. Yelich described the initial discomfort after running to first base, noting it felt unusual and worsened with subsequent at-bats.

Milwaukee already has several key players on the injured list, including outfielder Jackson Chourio and first baseman Andrew Vaughn, who are recovering from hand injuries. Both are expected to return in May. The Brewers are also without starting pitcher Quinn Priester (thoracic outlet strain) and reliever Jared Koenig (elbow injury).

The team is facing a challenging start to the season with multiple absences, leading manager Pat Murphy to comment on the “adversity” they’ve encountered. Yelich, a three-time All-Star and 2018 NL MVP, has been a key player this season, hitting .314 with one home run, 10 RBIs, and three stolen bases in 15 games.

In Yelich’s absence, the Brewers plan to utilize designated hitter Gary Sánchez more frequently. Sánchez stepped in for Yelich during Sunday’s game and hit a crucial three-run homer in the seventh inning.

Yelich, who played 150 games last season after overcoming back issues, noted this is his first soft-tissue injury. He acknowledged the difficulty of navigating the injury but remained optimistic about the team’s ability to persevere through adversity.

Greg Jones, called up from Triple-A Nashville, has shown strong performance in 13 games this season, batting .317 with a .462 on-base percentage and seven RBIs.