The Milwaukee Brewers, who currently lead the National League Central, will have to continue their playoff campaign without Christian Yelich.
Yelich is set to undergo season-ending back surgery on Friday, bringing a stop to his great season as the 2018 NL MVP. Yelich was leading the National League in hitting average (.315) and on-base percentage (.406) when he went on the injured list in late July.
He has not played since July 23, when he was pulled from a game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Yelich has been suffering with back troubles for several years, and this season, the ailment forced him to be on the disabled list twice.
In a video uploaded on social media Thursday, Yelich, 32, stated that surgery “was just the best option that we really had left.”
He explained, “It simply got to the point where it wasn’t improving.
I tried everything, ran out of options, and it was time to make a decision.”
The Brewers have confirmed that Dr. Brandon Rebholz will perform the procedure in Milwaukee.
Yelich added, “There’s really no other way to phrase it than it sucks. It is dreadful. But it’s part of the sport. These things occur. You get harmed, get mended, and then get back out there. Try to remain as positive as possible about it.”
Yelich was having his greatest season since his first two seasons in Milwaukee, when he won the NL MVP in 2018 and finished second in the 2019 MVP voting.
He was named to the All-Star Game for the third time this season and had 11 home runs, 42 RBIs, and 21 steals in 73 games despite back concerns.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy has commended Yelich for his leadership of a young team that has been at the top of the NL Central since the end of April despite multiple injuries.
The Brewers will miss Yelich’s leadership as they strive for their first World Series title in team history.
