The Brewers have activated outfielder Christian Yelich from the COVID-19 injury list, manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Yelich isn’t starting today’s game but is available off the bench, Counsell said.
Unfortunately for the Brewers, right-hander Adrian Houser was officially placed on the COVID list today, as was expected after the righty’s positive test yesterday. Houser now joins Josh Hader, Eric Lauer, Keston Hiura, Jandel Gustave, Hunter Strickland, and Jake Cousins as Milwaukee players on the COVID list, as the club continues to deal with an outbreak within the clubhouse. Yelich tested positive for the virus and was placed on the COVID-IL on July 27, so he’ll return after a pretty minimal stint, even if he isn’t immediately getting back into regular duty for the Brewers.
Between this absence and two stints on the regular injured list due to back problems, Yelich has appeared in only 67 games this season, and hit a modest .235/.382/.367 in 275 plate appearances. While still above-average (104 OPS+, 108 wRC+) production, it certainly isn’t what was expected from the former NL MVP, even if the Brewers have surged into first place in the NL Central with only average hitting numbers overall. A return to form from Yelich could be the spark Milwaukee needs to cement itself as a World Series contender, though the first order of business is simply to get everyone recovered from the COVID outbreak.
Guitar hero and corner outfielder, Christian Yelich
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
This team is a WS contender w/o Yelich being Yelich. If he gets back to anything resembling 18/19 Yelich, this team is monstrous. Pitching wins championships, and no team has more dominant pitching than MKE.
Your right… well except maybe the Dodgers….and maybe the Padres… and the White Sox…and probably Houston… maybe the Yankees… I guess if you don’t count any team in the playoffs than ya, Milwaukee has the most dominant pitching staff.
Ignorance is bliss isn’t it? Go look at MLB’s team statistics and the Brewers are in the top 3 in almost every pitching category. But…keep telling…yourself that the…Brewers are…irrelevant. Ya.
He’s not wrong tho. The Brewers has already peaked and will see a decline in Aug going into September and maybe won’t be able to contend in October or see a first round exit.
I mean, it’s the Brewers, known for peaking mid-season then go on either a sharp or a soft decline in Aug/Sept.
Sharp — Goes down fast in Aug and into irrelevancy
Soft — Goes down slowly into September then either couldn’t make the playoffs or sees a first round exit.
They’re well known for being a drunken crew, can’t compete long enough to win anything in the playoffs.
How quick you forget when they took the dodgers to 7 games in the NLCS.
Look Here! A Troll!
3 years ago?
Three of top six MLB starters by ERA are Burnes, Peralta, Woodruff. Three of top eight in MLB for strikeouts are Burnes, Peralta and Woodruff. Brewers have #2 team ERA in baseball. Just keep ignoring them…at your peril.
Lol sure, then they will see a couple of injuries or maybe go back (if they have) on the “CoViD” list. They are well known for peaking early then go on a decline later on.
You keep lying to yourself all you want but you know they won’t last long in the playoffs, if they ever reach it.
I’m too lazy to look it up, but it feels like we’re about 29-7 with him on the shelf.
Here’s to regular 0-3 with a BB and 2 K batting lines..til the next IL stint.
Let me guess you’ll be the first to say “I always believed in him” when he turns it around.
Let me know if he actually accomplishes that. FYI it’ll take more than 1 multi-hit game to convince me.
I am not worried at all about you Yelich. It hasn’t even been 500 at bats since his knee injury. That’s not even a full season. I say R E l a x. With him.
Why didn’t you cap all of the letters?
Brewers pitching is no joke. Starters & bullpen are ridiculous!
What a great series so far. I told my wife last night around the 4th inning that this felt like a playoff game. It was pretty electric last night.
Good thing you’re feeling that early on, cuz you won’t be feeling the same when the playoffs come around, they’re going to miss the playoffs with injuries and pitchers starting to decline late Aug/early Sept. If they manage to make the playoffs, they will see a first round exit.
I will literally bet whatever that the Brewers not only don’t win the WS, they won’t even get there. I am aCards fan and we are going nowhere fast but the Brewers are always going to be the team that’s right on the cusp but never make it… they have a good offense when it’s “on” they have a good pitching staff.. both of those WILL NOT gel together… unfortunately a N.L. West team will be representing in the world series. Try again next year Milwaukee
Maybe, maybe not. But I will say that the Nationals and Dodgers were on “the cusp” in recent years and they both were labeled as the team(s) that couldn’t get over the hump. Especially the Nats. As far as an offense being “on” that’s true of ALL MLB teams so that’s a terrible take. The key is when a team gets hot offensively. As a Cardinals fan you should know that. Just look at the 2011 squad. One more thing. The Brewers don’t have a “good” pitching staff. They have an elite staff this year. Elite enough for a deep postseason run. In case you haven’t noticed pitching is carrying the Brewers so no need for them to “gel”. And yes, they’re all under team control for next year, so they’ll be back.
Baseball is all luck in the post season. Teams get hot or cold. It’s a crap shoot.
Exactly and the Drunk Crew is well known to peak mid-season then go on a decline late Aug/early Sept and now with the “CoViD pRoToCoL” the MLB is going to abuse this team often, to the point where half of the team will be on the disabled list for quite a while.