Brewers manager reveals severity of Christian Yelich's all too familiar injury

On pace for his best season since 2019, Christian Yelich has been a key part of the Milwaukee Brewers' success this year. Unfortunately, he is once again dealing with a back issue, an all-too-familiar ailment that has plagued him for most of his career. Yelich hoped he had put his back issues behind him with a procedure that ended his 2024 season two months early; however, as the 2025 season comes to a close, Yelich, who has avoided the IL all season, is once again dealing with his balky back.

As Milwaukee focuses on locking down the division, securing a first-round bye, and prepping for a deep postseason run, Yelich’s health will be crucial, making this latest development one to closely monitor. Not only is Yelich clearly a leader on the field, setting the pace in home runs and runs batted in this season, but in the wake of the Willy Adames era, Yelich has emerged as a leader in the clubhouse as well, instilling his now 13 years of MLB wisdom upon the first- and second-year players on the Brewers' roster.

Thankfully, for both Yelich and the Brewers' organization, this time around the back issue does not appear to be serious.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy downplays the severity of Christian Yelich's back issue, expects a return this weekend

Given Yelich's history of back issues, the timing of this flare-up late in the season is certainly concerning, especially considering how well he’s played in 2025; losing him long-term would be detrimental. However, manager Pat Murphy, in his postgame interview last night, downplayed the severity, saying the discomfort isn’t serious and that after sitting out the final two games of the Phillies series as a precaution, Yelich is expected to be ready to return to the lineup for the weekend series in Pittsburgh.

Murphy also revealed that Yelich has been bothered by his back over the last week, since the Arizona Diamondbacks series, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. He first felt something in the eighth inning on Wednesday, August 27, while stretching out a hustle double.

With the postseason fast approaching, the Brewers are wise to take a cautious approach. Yelich has been a key piece of Milwaukee’s offense all season, and making sure he’s fully healthy for October is far more important than forcing him through lingering discomfort now.

While this flare-up is understandably concerning, the context matters. Up until this point in the season, Yelich has held up remarkably well. A hard slide into second base, like the one he made on August 27, could jar anyone’s back, let alone someone with a prior injury history. With a few days of rest, Yelich should be able to bounce back and continue anchoring the Brewers lineup. But for a Brewers fanbase that has seen devastating late-season injuries year after year, the suspiciously quiet nature of Yelich's scratch from the lineup last night was more than disconcerting.