MLB Rumors: Brewers' Christian Yelich Might Need Season-Ending Surgery on Back Injury

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to inflammation in his lower back.

The Brewers announced the roster move on Wednesday. Yelich left Tuesday's win over the Chicago Cubs in the sixth inning after running gingerly to first base on a groundout.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the injury could require back surgery that would end his 2024 season.

Speaking to reporters prior to Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Yelich didn't sound optimistic about this being a short-term issue.

"I don't really want to get into like the specifics of it, but yeah, not great," he said. "Go from there as far as what's going to be the best for the near future and into the future. A couple different discussions I think that need to be had."

This is the second IL stint of the season for Yelich. He previously missed 24 games from April 13 to May 8 due to a strained lower back.

Yelich is in the midst of a terrific season for the first-place Brewers. His .315 batting average and .406 on-base percentage would lead the NL if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. His .504 slugging percentage is his best since 2019.

If there is a silver lining for the Brewers, Yelich's injury happening now gives them time to make some potential additions to their lineup before the trade deadline on July 30.

The Brewers (58-43) enter Wednesday with a five-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. Their offense is tied with the Minnesota Twins for the sixth-most runs scored in MLB, despite being tied for 20th in homers.