Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich was on pace to have another excellent season in 2024. Through 73 this summer, the former first-round pick has held an excellent .315/.406/.504 line with 11 home runs, 42 RBI, 21 stolen bases, and a 40:58 BB:K ratio.
His underlying metrics are quite impressive, such as his 46.7% hard-hit rate, 12.7% walk rate, and .298 xBA, which place him near the top among all qualified hitters.
However, Yelich was recently placed on the 10-day injured list due to a back injury on July 24 that could sideline him for the remainder of the summer.
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Christian Yelich Injury Update for Fantasy Baseball
Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reported on July 24 that Yelich is set to visit a spine specialist to discuss the next steps including the possibility of season-ending surgery.
Christian Yelich will see a spine specialist tomorrow to discuss next steps, including the possibility of season-ending back surgery. pic.twitter.com/crZq6A9KTi
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) July 24, 2024
While Yelich could still avoid a serious operation, his return window this summer looks quite bleak. The 32-year-old at best will spend much more than the allotted 10-day window on the injured list which could take him out for the remainder of the fantasy season.
Fantasy managers should pay close attention to any updates regarding the former MVP as he has dealt with a handful of nagging back injuries in his career.
Christian Yelich Fantasy Baseball Outlook
Yelich was on track to finish as a top-10 outfielder in all standard roto leagues this season due to his ability to contribute in all five categories. However, due to the recent news, fantasy managers should now prepare to enter the stretch run without him.
In Milwaukee, expect Jackson Chourio to see the majority if not all starts in left field going forward with Sal Frelick flanking him in right field. This will open up center field for Garrett Mitchell and Blake Perkins.
Mitchell could be worth a look especially if you are looking to replace Yelich's speed production. In 25 games this season, Mitchell has swiped two bags but is placed in the top 95th percentile among all hitters which suggests that number should climb during the second half.
Now Garrett Mitchell goes deep! pic.twitter.com/JXWplTGe6h
— The Brew Crew Scoop (@BrewCrewScoop) July 14, 2024
In addition, fantasy managers could look to grabbing a few outfielders who are swinging hot bats such as Lawrence Butler or Juan Yepez to temporarily fill the void left by Yelich.
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