Yelich not planning on surgery 'at this time'

By: Darius Joshua Facebook | Twitter

Posted: Jul 25, 2024 8:49 PM CDT

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- There is some hope for Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich to return during the 2024 season.

Yelich is currently on the 10-day injured list with a lower back injury. There were reports of season-ending back surgery being an option, but Yelich didn't go there speaking at his 2nd annual Home Plate charity event benefiting military veterans and the Milwaukee community.

"Yesterday, surgery was never really on the table," said Yelich. "Obviously there's a lot of steps, a lot of things that can happen before you go that route."

The Brewers All-Star says meeting with doctors today they are going to come up with a plan to get him back on the field as soon as possible. Yelich is currently in the middle of one of his best seasons since 2019.

In 73 games, Yelich is batting .315, with a .406 on base percentage. He's tied for third on the team with 11 home runs and is fifth on the team in runs batted in with 42. He's also second on the team in steals with 21. The Brewers are in first place in the National League Central Division and have held that spot since April.

"I really love playing for this team and being a part of this team. It's been an exciting year. I don't think a lot of people thought we would be in this position when we started spring training. It's a special group and I really want to contribute to that down the stretch. No surgery planned at this time, so we'll just see how it goes," said Yelich.

This is the second time Yelich has ended up on the injured list this season with back issues. He missed 20 games when it flared up in April. He's also dealt with the issues several times over the last few seasons. He says off-season surgery hasn't been talked about yet either.

"We'll see. It's not something that we've really discussed or planned at this time. Obviously want to be the best version of myself for this year, going into the future. And obviously get a handle on this thing so I can be on the field as often as possible," said Yelich.