Brewers' Christian Yelich Day-to-Day with Back Injury After Exiting vs. Cardinals

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich is day-to-day after leaving Sunday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals early because of back soreness, manager Craig Counsell told reporters after his team's 9-3 victory. 

Jackie Bradley Jr. replaced Yelich after he took his second at-bat of the game. Yelich went 1-for-2 with a run scored before exiting. Milwaukee ended the second inning up 7-1 over the Cardinals.

The 29-year-old, who is three years removed from the MVP nod he earned in his first season with the Brewers, has slashed .321/.457/.357 with one RBI through eight games for Milwaukee, which is 4-4. 

Yelich struggled mightily in 2020. Through 58 games, he hit just .205/.356/.430 with 22 RBI and 12 home runs, a year after he led the National League in batting average and on-base percentage while topping MLB in in slugging percentage.

Though he missed time with a fractured kneecap at the end of the 2019 season, the Thousand Oaks, California, native has proved largely durable throughout his career. He has never appeared in fewer than 126 games, a career low from 2015 when he dealt with various ailments, including back spasms and a knee bruise. 

If Yelich has to miss additional time, expect Bradley to continue to hold it down in left field.