Christian Yelich exited Wednesday’s game before the seventh inning in the Milwaukee Brewers loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He will not be in the lineup Thursday against the Chicago Cubs with oblique tightness.
Just one day after hitting a game-tying home run in the bottom of the 9th against the Cardinals, Christian Yelich is suffering from right oblique stiffness. MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reported the injury to the Milwaukee Brewers outfielder on Twitter shortly after the game’s conclusion.
It was speculated that the injury occurred on his sliding catch in foul territory. According to McCalvy, this was not the case. As of yet, there has not been any information as to the seriousness of the injury. But, he will not play game one against the Chicago Cubs.
What Happens Now?
Depending on the seriousness of the injury, Yelich could be back soon. However, there is a remote possibility that he will have to miss a considerable amount of time.
If that is the case, the Milwaukee Brewers may employ the left field by committee method. According to Tim Daniels of The Bleacher Report, Hernan Perez and Eric Thames may split time in left field.
Again, this is worst case scenario. In a perfect world, Yelich will be back as soon as possible. But it is nice to have a viable backup plan that will allow the Crew to remain productive offensively.
How Will This Affect The Lineup?
Christian Yelich‘s offensive production for the Brewers has been fantastic thus far. He had the highest batting average for Milwaukee prior to Wednesday’s game, sitting at .435 in his first 23 at bats.
His average dipped a little after going 0-for-3 in the 6-0 loss to the Cardinals, but he still is atop the leaderboard with an average of .385. Yelich is also currently leading the team in runs scored with six. Plus, he is second to only Ryan Braun (6) in RBIs with five through the first six games.
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Should the stiffness keep Yelich out for a few games, Perez and Thames have big shoes to fill. There is no question that as soon as Christian Yelich is healthy enough to play, he will once again assume his starting role.