Brewers Place Christian Yelich On Injured List, Select Greg Jones
2:15pm: The Brewers estimate Yelich to be out until mid-to-late May, so about four to six weeks, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
11:49am: The Brewers on Tuesday placed outfielder/designated hitter Christian Yelich on the 10-day injured list due to a left groin strain, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Milwaukee selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Greg Jones from Triple-A Nashville to take Yelich’s spot on the 40-man roster. Left-handed reliever Rob Zastryzny has been moved from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man roster spot for Jones.
Yelich was out to a strong start, having slashed .314/.375/.451 with a homer, a triple, two doubles and three steals through his first 56 plate appearances. The 34-year-old left Sunday’s game with what the team first described as a possible hamstring injury, however, before eventually being diagnosed with the groin strain. There’s no immediate timetable for his potential return, though to this point there’s no indication that Yelich is expected to be faced with a particularly long absence.
Today’s IL placement marks the third time in the past couple weeks that Milwaukee has lost a core lineup piece due to injury. Yelich joins outfielder Jackson Chourio and first baseman Andrew Vaughn on the injured list. Both have hand fractures — Chourio a hairline fracture after being hit by a pitch and Vaughn a hamate fracture that required surgery. On the pitching side of things, the Brewers are most notably without starter Quinn Priester (thoracic outlet symptoms) and reliever Jared Koenig (elbow sprain).
Yelich’s move to the injured list should open some playing time for a series of bench options and platoon bats to rotate through the designated hitter slot in the lineup. Backup catcher Gary Sánchez could see some looks there, as could switch-hitting infielder Luis Rengifo (at least on days where David Hamilton plays third base). Outfielders Brandon Lockridge, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick and Blake Perkins are options for both outfield and DH work.
Jones, 28, was a first-round pick by the Rays in 2018 and briefly ranked on the back end of MLB.com’s ranking of the sport’s top-100 prospects back in 2022. He’s never pieced things together at the Triple-A level, however, and is 1-for-7 in a tiny sample of eight major league plate appearances. The fleet-footed Jones offers top-of-the-scale speed. He went 46-for-49 in stolen base attempts in just 89 minor league games as recently as 2024.
However, Jones has also battled various injuries and struggled to produce at an average level even in Triple-A. His .262/.344/.438 batting line in parts of four Triple-A seasons looks solid relative to the average major league batting line but is sub-par in Triple-A — particularly in the Pacific Coast League, where he spent that ’24 season. He’s shown an especially concerning lack of contact skills and pitch recognition, punching out in 36.3% of his Triple-A plate appearances against a solid but unspectacular 8.6% walk rate. That said, Jones is currently hitting .317/.462/.390 in 52 plate appearances with Nashville. He’s stolen seven bags in nine tries.
Though he was drafted as a shortstop, Jones has played far more outfield in recent seasons. Scouting reports were always a bit skeptical of his ability to stick at short, and his blazing speed lends itself well to center field range. Jones has experience in all three outfield spots and has picked up 16 games at second base over the course of his pro career as well. He’s a left-handed bat who can bounce around the diamond and provide a some speed off the bench while backing up at several spots.
Zastryzny was rehabbing from a shoulder issue during spring training when he suffered a separate intercostal strain. At the time of that setback, the Brewers indicated he’d be out until at least late April. Today’s move to the 60-day IL doesn’t reset his IL clock but does mean he’ll be sidelined for at least the majority of May now as well.
The journeyman Zastryzny has pitched 29 1/3 innings with the Brewers over the past two seasons and logged a sparkling 2.12 earned run average despite more pedestrian strikeout and walk rates of 20.5% and 9%, respectively. Even with Zastryzny and the aforementioned Koenig sidelined, Milwaukee has three lefties in the bullpen: Angel Zerpa, Aaron Ashby and DL Hall.
Christian Yelich Exits Game Due To Hamstring Injury
It’s been a tough few days for Brewers fans, as they’ve been swept at the hands of the Nationals this weekend. Today’s loss is the least of the club’s worries at the moment, however, as veteran star Christian Yelich exited today’s game due to an apparent injury. Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relayed that the initial diagnosis was “left hamstring tightness,” which can be a minor day-to-day issue or prove to be a more serious injury depending on the severity of the issue at hand.
While nothing has been confirmed so far, all signs point to this injury being on the more serious side of things. Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy told reporters (including Adam McCalvy of MLB.com) after the game that the team is “most likely to get bad news” regarding Yelich’s health status. An exact timeline for Yelich’s return can’t be known until imaging results come back, but it seems as though Murphy and the Brewers are expecting him to head to the injured list. Losing Yelich for a significant period would be a devastating blow for Milwaukee. The 34-year-old has looked excellent this year as the team’s everyday DH, as he entered today with a .327/.389/.469 slash line across 14 games this season.
That impressive start has been all the more important for the Brewers due to a variety of other injuries in the lineup. Budding star Jackson Chourio has yet to appear in an MLB game this year due to a fractured hand, and first baseman Andrew Vaughn suffered a hand injury of his own in the very first game of the 2026 season. That’s left the Brewers to rely on players like Brandon Lockridge and Jake Bauers as regulars in the lineup. Losing Yelich will force them to dip into their depth further, Youngster Tyler Black is off to a hot start at Triple-A this year and could be the next man up to replace Yelich in the lineup, though backup catcher and right-handed slugger Gary Sanchez could also get more opportunities with Yelich no longer in the mix at DH.
For all of Milwaukee’s struggles with injuries in the early going, they’ve been able to keep their head above water in a National League that has started the year extremely competitive. Their 8-7 record leaves them tied with the Cardinals for third place in the NL Central, but they’re just one game behind the Pirates for the division crown. If Milwaukee can stay the course in these early weeks, the eventual returns of players like Chourio and Yelich from injury should give them the boost they’ll need to remain competitive in a division that got a lot more crowded this past winter with aggressive offseasons from every NL Central club (aside from St. Louis, who fully launched their rebuild over the offseason).
Christian Yelich Says He’s “Ready For Opening Day” Following Back Surgery
Christian Yelich‘s 2024 season was prematurely ended by a back surgery in mid-August, and at the time, the Brewers outfielder said he hoped he’d be fully recovered for the coming 2025 campaign. It appears that best-case scenario looks to be in play, as Yelich told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters today that “I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t be ready for Opening Day….Unless something crazy happens here, I don’t see why I wouldn’t be ready.”
It was a busy winter for Yelich, who said he didn’t get “really any break period” in between his rehab work and then his usual ramp-up work in advance of spring camp. “If anything, I probably did more baseball stuff this offseason than I would in a typical offseason just out of necessity and having to check those boxes. I feel good and wasn’t really delayed in any preparation for Spring Training,” the former NL MVP said.
Back problems have plagued Yelich for several years, so hopefully last year’s procedure might finally allow Yelich some longer-term relief as he enters his 13th Major League season. Even before the surgery, Yelich was looking like he’d turned a corner and returned to his past MVP-level form. After hitting a decent but unspectacular .254/.362/.407 over 2025 plate appearances during the 2020-23 seasons, Yelich broke out to a .315/.406/.504 slash line and 11 home runs over 315 PA in 2024 (translating to a 151 wRC+). A .366 BABIP certainly contributed to that success, but several above-average secondary metrics indicated that Yelich’s big year was no fluke.
Yelich, the Brewers, and Milwaukee fans might wonder forever how a healthy Yelich might’ve changed the club’s postseason fortunes, as the Brew Crew were eliminated in heartbreaking fashion during the NL Wild Card Series. The Brewers have made the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons, but haven’t won a postseason round since 2018, Yelich’s first season in the organization.
Missing out on this playoff run was painful both physically and emotionally for Yelich, but he was left with no choice since “my body stopped working, basically, so I had to have surgery. It wasn’t like I could finish the season or not, or get surgery….If I could’ve finished the year I would’ve loved to have tried to finish the year, but the silver lining in having to get surgery then was like I’d for sure be ready for Opening Day. So that was a good thing, and fortunately there weren’t many setbacks in the rehab process or anything like that.”
Yelich’s spectacular 2018-19 seasons led the team to lock him up on a new contract in advance of the 2020 campaign. With seven years and $188.5MM in new money added in that extension, it was the biggest contract in Brewers history, and a sizable vote of confidence from an organization not known for big spending. The outfielder’s modest production in the four seasons following the extension raised some concerns, but Yelich’s 2024 performance renews some hope that the 33-year-old can still reach an elite level.
Yelich spent 402 1/3 innings in left field last season but also got a good chunk of DH time. Milwaukee has enough outfield depth that Yelich should again receive plenty of work as a designated hitter, in order to give him a partial rest day while still keeping his bat in the lineup.
Brewers Select Isaac Collins
The Brewers announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Isaac Collins. In corresponding moves, outfielder Brewer Hicklen was optioned to Triple-A and outfielder Christian Yelich was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Collins, 27, was a ninth-round pick by the Rockies back in 2019 and has yet to make his major league debut. The Brewers plucked him from Colorado in the minor league phase of the 2022 Rule 5 Draft, and he’s spent the past two seasons in the upper levels of Milwaukee’s minor league system. He’s performed well in his first full season at Triple-A this year, with a .273/.386/.475 slash line in 500 trips to the plate. He’s supplemented that solid production at the plate with impressive baserunning (24 steals in 29 attempts) and the versatility to play second base, third base, and all over the outfield.
He’ll now get the opportunity to prove himself at the big league level with the Brewers as the regular season winds down. Milwaukee has little to worry about in terms of making the playoffs, as their ten-game lead over the Cubs and Cardinals is all but insurmountable at this point, though the club still does have something to play for as they’re three games back of both the Phillies and Dodgers for a bye through the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Even so, the Brewers’ cushion in the NL Central race and September’s expanded 28-man rosters provides the club with an opportunity to get potential future contributors exposure at the big league level while also shoring up their overall depth.
Making way for Collins on the club’s roster is Hicklen. The 28-year-old outfielder had a brief cup of coffee with the Royals in the majors back in 2022 but his time with the Brewers this year has been his second foray into major league action. Hicklen’s .247/.364/.484 slash line at the Triple-A level isn’t too dissimilar from that of Collins, and his slightly less valuable offense is more or less outweighed by a fantastic 42-for-47 record on the basepaths this year at Triple-A. That said, replacing Hicklen on the roster with Collins offers the Brewers the opportunity to roster a hitter with a similar skillset who can back up the infield alongside Andruw Monasterio as well as filling in around the outfield when necessary.
As for Yelich, his placement on the 60-day IL is hardly a surprise given the fact that his season came to an end when he underwent back surgery last month. The 32-year-old enjoyed his best offensive season in years when healthy enough to take the field this year, slashing .315/.406/.504 in 73 games while stealing 21 bases in 22 attempts. He’s currently expected to be ready to return to the middle of the club’s lineup in time for the 2025 season.
Christian Yelich To Undergo Season-Ending Back Surgery
Christian Yelich is out for the season. The Brewers’ star outfielder announced (on X) that he’ll undergo surgery to address a back injury tomorrow. In a statement provided by the team, Yelich said he was hopeful of being 100% recovered for the 2025 season.
For the past month, it has been a near inevitability that Yelich was headed for surgery. He went on the 10-day injured list the week before the trade deadline after playing through lower back discomfort. Yelich visited a spine specialist and initially tried a non-surgical rehab that’d allow him to delay the procedure until the offseason. The hope was to get healthy enough to be able to contribute to the Brewers’ pennant push before more definitively addressing the problem at year’s end.
As Yelich explained today, the injury “wasn’t getting better” over the past few weeks. He added that he “ran out of options” that would allow him to make it back this season. The former MVP understandably expressed disappointment that he won’t be able to contribute on the field but indicated he’d remain around the team while they attempt to lock down a second consecutive NL Central title (link via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com).
It’s a tough end to what was shaping up as Yelich’s best season in a few years. He was utterly dominant during his first two years in Milwaukee, following up an MVP campaign in 2018 with a runner-up finish in ’19. Yelich paced the Senior Circuit in OPS both seasons. His production dropped sharply after that. From 2020-23, he was a solid but not elite hitter. Yelich remained a good player who appeared to be on the decline coming into this year, his age-32 season.
He completely flipped that script with a monster first half. Yelich raked at a .315/.406/.504 clip across 315 plate appearances. He homered 11 times and stole 21 bases while being thrown out just once. The three-time Silver Slugger Award winner cut his strikeout rate to 18.4%, the lowest of his Brewers tenure, while drawing walks at an excellent 12.4% clip. Even if he wasn’t quite back to an MVP level, Yelich was an easy call to start for the National League in the All-Star Game.
Among hitters with 300+ plate appearances, Yelich is fifth in average and fourth in on-base percentage. He’s within the top 20 in slugging output. His overall offensive production was 53 percentage points better than league average, as measured by wRC+. That’s quite comfortably tops on the team and 13th in the majors overall (with that 300 PA minimum). Yelich’s rate production sits between that of Rafael Devers and Ketel Marte.
Milwaukee isn’t going to be able to replace that kind of output. They were aware that Yelich might not make it back by the deadline. The front office reportedly sought a left-handed bat who could offer some punch against righty pitching but ultimately didn’t find a deal to their liking. Their deadline acquisitions ended up being exclusively on the pitching side, as they brought in Frankie Montas and reliever Nick Mears (in addition to their early-July pickup of Aaron Civale). The Montas trade actually sacrificed a bit of outfield depth since they sent Joey Wiemer to Cincinnati, though Wiemer wasn’t playing well enough in Triple-A to take on a meaningful role in Milwaukee.
Star rookie Jackson Chourio has moved to left field in Yelich’s absence. The 20-year-old is on a tear after a slow start to his debut campaign. Chourio has hit over .300 in each of the past three months. He’s hitting .274/.320/.441 on the season and has a massive .320/.368/.510 slash going back to June 1. Sal Frelick is having a decent year in right field, hitting .259/.333/.331 with above-average defensive grades. Former first-round pick Garrett Mitchell is back from injury to handle center field duties.
It’s still an extremely talented outfield, but any lineup would be much improved with Yelich in the middle of the order. The injury shouldn’t stop the Brewers from making the postseason. At 69-52, they’ve built a comfortable nine-game cushion in the NL Central. Milwaukee is in a tight battle for one of the top two seeds in the National League and the accompanying first-round bye. They’re a game and a half behind the Phillies and Dodgers, who are separated by percentage points for the NL’s best record.
Yelich remains a foundational piece for the Brew Crew in the long term. He’s under contract at $26MM annually for four seasons beyond this one. The team holds a $20MM option for the ’29 campaign. Yelich has dealt with intermittent back issues dating back to his first few seasons with the Marlins. The surgery will hopefully prevent that from being a major concern as he nears his mid-30s.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Brewers Seeking Left-Handed Bat
Starting pitching has long been the Brewers’ top priority on the trade market — and likely still is — but in the wake of Christian Yelich‘s placement on the injured list with a significant back injury, the team is now also seeking a left-handed bat, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. Yelich is attempting non-surgical rehab to get back to the field sooner than later, but he’ll very likely require surgery this offseason as he aims to correct an issue that’s plagued him for some time now.
Milwaukee is hitting .256/.332/.403 against right-handed pitching as a team — good for a 108 wRC+ that ranks ninth among MLB teams. However, Yelich’s return to MVP-caliber form this season has played a substantial role in that production. The 2018 NL MVP and 2019 MVP runner-up carries a .315/.406/.504 batting line on the season. He’s ripped 11 homers and added 21 doubles, three triples and 21 steals (in 22 attempts).
Yelich has tormented both left- and right-handed pitchers, and Milwaukee has several righty bats (e.g. William Contreras, Joey Ortiz, Willy Adames) who’ve been quite productive against righties. The rest of the lineup, however, is lacking in terms of impact left-handed bats. Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang, Sal Frelick and switch-hitting Blake Perkins (who’s been better as a right-handed hitter) are all lighter-hitting options. Yelich was the team’s primary left-handed power threat, and now it’s both unclear precisely when he’ll return and how effective he’ll be upon activation.
The market generally isn’t steeped in impactful lefties, but there are a few who have floated throughout the rumor mill in recent weeks. Marlins center fielder/second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. is widely expected to be traded prior to Tuesday’s deadline. He’s controlled through the 2026 season. The Rays have been active in selling off some veterans to both clear payroll and make way for younger/more inexpensive contributor and would likely be willing to move Brandon Lowe, who can be a free agent at season’s end but has two club options on his contract. Angels switch-hitting infielder Luis Rengifo is another option and is controlled through 2025. Former Brewer and current Nats outfielder/DH Jesse Winker is enjoying a rebound campaign after a pair of injury-wrecked seasons (one in Milwaukee) and as a rental on a selling club is among the likeliest trade options in the game.
The weekend slate of games will be worth following with a watchful eye. The Giants, for instance, would have several left-handed bats that could hit the market if they fail to make up any ground in the standings (or fall back even further). Michael Conforto is an impending free agent, while Mike Yastrzemski and LaMonte Wade Jr. are controlled through the 2025 season.
Milwaukee currently has a payroll of about $112MM — a notable drop from last year’s season-end payroll of about $126MM. This month’s acquisition of Aaron Civale already added a bit of money to the books, and gap between the current payroll and last year’s mark should signify that GM Matt Arnold and his team have a bit of financial wiggle room as they look to address multiple needs in the next four-plus days.
Christian Yelich To Attempt Non-Surgical Rehab On Back
Yesterday, the possibility was raised that Brewers outfielder/designated hitter Christian Yelich could be facing season-ending back surgery. That scenario seems to be off the table at the moment, with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reporting on X that Yelich will attempt rest and rehab for now, but with surgery in the offseason still “a strong possibility.”
The Brewers placed their star and former MVP on the 10-day injured list yesterday with lower back inflammation. It was reported at the time that the 32-year-old would be seeing a spine specialist today with season-ending surgery a possibility, though it seems the specialist gave Yelich some hope of returning this season.
The lower back has been an ongoing problem for Yelich, as he went on the IL due to issues in that part of his body in 2014, 2015, 2021 and now again in 2024. “I’ve dealt with it a lot during my career,” Yelich said yesterday, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com on X. “I feel like it’s kind of affected me in a negative way at times. I’ve been able to play at a high level but it’s one of those things that’s held be back a little, so that’s where it’s frustrating. What are you going to do? But also, though, there’s a potential that I can finally get on the other side of this, finally, when all is said and done. We’ll see. It remains to be seen, I guess.”
Based on those words from Yelich, it seems as though there’s some belief that the surgery could put the issue behind him for good. Even if that is the case, it’s understandable why he would try to delay it, at least for a few months. The Brewers are currently 59-43 and have a six-game lead over the Cardinals in the National League Central. Given the club’s circumstances, it’s understandable that he would want to pursue a chance of coming back for the stretch run and then the playoffs.
Even when not 100% healthy, he’s often the best player on the field when he’s out there. He won National League MVP in 2018 and was roughly as good in 2019. Over those two seasons, he hit 80 home runs and slashed .327/.415/.631 for a wRC+ of 170. He also stole 52 bases and played all three outfield positions. He racked up a massive 14.2 wins above replacement in that two-year stretch, per FanGraphs.
He then had a bit of a dip in 2020 and 2021, hitting .234/.360/.392 in that time for a 106 wRC+, but he’s been on an upward trend since then. His wRC+ jumped to 111 in 2022 and 122 last year, before getting all the way to 155 here in 2024. He’s hit 11 home runs and is drawing walks in 12.7% of his plate appearances, leading to a .315/.406/.504 batting line. He’s swiped 21 bags as well.
Getting that kind of production back in the lineup later in the year will obviously be a priority for the Brewers. For now, they have an outfield mix consisting of Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell and Blake Perkins. The designated hitter slot can be shared between Rhys Hoskins, Gary Sánchez and others.
Even if he is able to return this year, it’s still possible he’ll have to go under the knife later. Whether that impacts his offseason or his 2025 campaign remains to be seen. His deal with the Brewers runs through 2028 with a mutual option for 2029.
Christian Yelich Could Require Back Surgery
12:02pm: Yelich is meeting with a spine specialist tomorrow, and season-ending back surgery is a possibility, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
“Everybody plays through stuff, but sometimes you just can’t,” Yelich tells McCalvy. “That’s kind of where we’re at, at this point. Your body won’t cooperate with you.”
10:35am: The Brewers announced this morning that they’ve placed Christian Yelich on the 10-day injured list due to lower back inflammation. Catcher Gary Sanchez was activated from the IL to take Yelich’s spot on the roster.
Yelich exited yesterday’s win over the Cubs with tightness in his back, and he’s taken a more ominous tone this morning when discussing the injury with the Brewers beat. He’s headed to see a specialist, per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (X link), and Yelich’s description of what comes next foreshadowed a potentially notable absence.
“Go from there as far as what’s going to be best for the near future and into the future,” Yelich said of his visit to a back specialist. “A couple different discussions I think that need to be had.”
Yelich, 32, saw his production tail off in 2020-21, but the former MVP has been on the upswing since. His numbers have improved in three straight seasons, culminating in a vintage .315/.406/.504 batting line through his first 315 plate appearances of the 2024 season. That’s 56% better than league-average, by measure of wRC+, which stands as the third-highest mark in Yelich’s excellent career. His reemergence as one of the National League’s best and most well-rounded offensive players has played a huge role in Milwaukee’s five-game lead in the division, but Yelich’s comments this morning are far from optimistic.
The Brewers are deeper in outfielders than most clubs, so there are plenty of internal options to step into his spot, though clearly no one can be expected to replicate Yelich’s standout offense this season. Still, Milwaukee has Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell and Blake Perkins all on the big league roster at the moment. Former top prospect Joey Wiemer has a 16.6% walk rate and .376 OBP down in Triple-A (though his typical power output has curiously been M.I.A.). Milwaukee also just added the appropriately named Brewer Hicklen to its 40-man roster last week; the 28-year-old has hit .274/.383/.569 with 19 homers and 27 steals in Triple-A Nashville after signing a minor league deal in the offseason.
It’s not yet clear how much time Yelich can be expected to miss, but with the trade deadline just six days away, it’s easy enough to see this injury having some broad-reaching impact on the Brewers’ deadline outlook. Yelich’s absence could make the Brewers more wary of dealing from that stash of controllable young outfielders. It’s also feasible that a long-term absence could push the Brewers to look into adding a bat, regardless of position. Yelich has been the team’s best hitter and has also appeared in 26 games as a designated hitter. That could open up some at-bats for any new hitter to step into the lineup.
Starting pitching figures to remain the Brewers’ focus, even after adding Aaron Civale in a deal with the Rays earlier this month, but Yelich’s injury is a difficult one to stomach for a division-leading team. There’s no comparable hitter who could be had, of course, but it stands to reason that a long-term absence for Yelich could prompt Milwaukee to look at a variety of bats who could deepen the lineup.
Brewers Place Christian Yelich On Injured List Due To Back Strain
The Brewers announced that outfielder Christian Yelich has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 13, due to a low back strain. Infielder/outfielder Owen Miller was recalled as the corresponding move.
Yelich, 32, last played on Friday with back soreness keeping him out of the lineup in recent days. Since IL stints can be backdated by three days as long as a player doesn’t play, the club waited to see how he responded to a bit of time off. It seems he is still sore enough that he’ll need a bit more time on the shelf, but the backdating means he could potentially be back in a week.
Though the move isn’t surprising and his absence may be brief, it’s nonetheless frustrating for the Brew Crew. Yelich hit a torrid .333/.422/.744 in his first 11 games, launching five home runs in that time. He wasn’t going to be able to maintain that forever but it’s still unfortunate that he was dragged down in the middle of such a heater.
With outfielder Garrett Mitchell also on the injured list, Milwaukee has mostly been using Jackson Chourio, Blake Perkins and Sal Frelick as their regular outfielders in recent days with Joey Wiemer in a fourth outfielder role.
The recall of Miller gives them a versatile bench piece for the time being. Since the start of 2022, he has played all of the non-shortstop infield positions as well as the outfield corners. He’s hit just .241/.289/.349 in that time but has 17 stolen bases in 19 tries and has received solid grades for his glovework.
Latest On Brewers’ Corner Infield Plans
The Brewers had the worst offense of any playoff contender last year, with a 92 wRC+ that ranked seventh-worst among all major league clubs. Much of those offensive woes can be attributed to the club’s struggles to find quality offense at the infield corners. Milwaukee’s first basemen slashed a collective .237/.301/.381 in 2023, posting an 83 wRC+ that placed them in the bottom three among all clubs. They didn’t fare much better at the hot corner, where Brewers third basemen slashed .231/.315/.365 with a wRC+ of 87.
It’s worth noting that the majority of the players responsible for that production are no longer on the roster. Of the ten players to appear at first base for the Brewers in 2023, only Owen Miller remains with the organization. It’s a similar story at third base, where only Miller and Andruw Monasterio are still with Milwaukee among the seven players the club relied on at the hot corner in 2023. Both Miller and Monasterio have the look of solid, versatile bench pieces but appear miscast as regulars in the lineup with wRC+ marks of 81 and 88 respectively.
Given the club’s extreme lack of viable options at the infield corners, it’s hardly a surprise that Brewers GM Matt Arnold told reporters (including Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy) that the club views both first and third base as areas of the roster in need of an upgrade, even after acquiring Jake Bauers from the Yankees ahead of last month’s tender deadline. Arnold indicated that the club would have interest in a potential reunion with veteran first baseman Carlos Santana, who slashed a solid .249/.314/.459 in 226 plate appearances after being acquired by the club in a midseason trade with the Pirates over the summer.
The veteran switch-hitter will celebrate his 38th birthday shortly after Opening Day in 2024, but has been among the most consistent and disciplined hitters in the league throughout his tenure as a big leaguer. Throughout his 14 seasons in the majors, Santana has never posted a walk rate below 10.5% or a strikeout rate above 20.2% with near-equal career marks of 14.5% and 16.8%, respectively. That excellent discipline has come at the expense of power in recent years, as Santana posted a meager .148 ISO from 2020-22. 2023 represented something of a rebound on that front, however, as Santana slugged .429 while crushing 23 home runs, the fifth-highest total of his career.
Looking at options beyond Santana, Arnold suggesting that one solution for the infield corners could come internally in the form of Tyler Black. Milwaukee’s first-round pick in the 2021 draft and #4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, Black impressed at the plate in 2023 with a .287/.413/.513 slash line in 558 trips to the plate split between the Double- and Triple-A levels. Arnold heaped praise on the lefty slugger, telling reporters (as relayed by Rosiak) that Black is “just so talented and has a lot of upside,” while confirming that Black will have the chance to earn a spot on the big league roster this spring.
One candidate for time at first base the Brewers won’t be entertaining, according to Arnold, is Christian Yelich. The club’s $215MM man has scuffled a bit in recent years following his back-to-back MVP-caliber campaigns in 2018 and 2019 but bounced back somewhat this season, slashing a solid .278/.370/.447 with a wRC+ of 122 while swiping 28 bags in 31 attempts. Despite that solid offensive production, defensive metrics were mixed on Yelich’s performance with the glove in left field. While he accumulated a solid +4 OAA in 2023, DRS wasn’t so kind as only Bryan De La Cruz posted a lower figure than Yelich’s -3 while recording as many innings in the field.
Moving Yelich to first could improve the club’s defense while thinning a logjam in the outfield that includes Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Joey Wiemer, Sal Frelick, Blake Perkins, and Tyrone Taylor in addition to Yelich. Such a shift is evidently not in the cards for Milwaukee, however, as Arnold suggested he “wouldn’t expect” to see Yelich at first base next year, leaving him to continue patrolling left field or spending time at DH. With the Brewers listening to offers on their glut of young outfielders, it’s possible the aforementioned group of seven outfielders could be winnowed down by a trade before Spring Training rolls around in February.