Brewers' outfielder Christian Yelich to have season-ending back surgery

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers will have to continue their playoff push without Christian Yelich.

Yelich is undergoing season-ending back surgery Friday, putting an end to the 2018 NL MVP’s resurgent season. Yelich was leading the NL in batting average (.315) and on-base percentage (.406) when he went on the injured list in late July.

But, he hasn’t played since getting removed from a game at Chicago’s Wrigley Field on July 23. Yelich has been dealing with back trouble for the last few years, and the issue landed him on the injured list twice this season.

The 32-year-old Yelich said Thursday in a video posted on social media that surgery “was just the best option that we really had left.”

“It just got to the point where it wasn’t getting better,” Yelich said. “I tried everything I could, ran out of options and it came time to make a decision.”

The Brewers announced that Dr. Brandon Rebholz will perform the surgery in Milwaukee.

“There’s really no other way to put it other than it sucks,” Yelich said. “It’s terrible. But it’s part of sports. These things happen. You get hurt, you get fixed and you get back out there. Try to stay as positive as possible about it.”

Yelich was having his best season since his first two years in Milwaukee, when he won the NL MVP in 2018 and finished second in the 2019 MVP balloting. He earned his third All-Star Game selection this season and had 11 homers, 42 RBIs and 21 steals in 73 games despite dealing with his back issues.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy has praised Yelich throughout the season for the leadership he has provided to a young team that has withstood numerous injuries to remain atop the NL Central since the end of April.

The Brewers won’t have Yelich to lead their lineup as they chase their first World Series title in franchise history.

Although the Brewers are in position to earn their sixth postseason appearance in the last seven years, they haven’t won a playoff series since 2018 and earned their lone World Series berth in 1982. The Brewers own the biggest lead of any major league team, with a nine-game edge over Cincinnati and St. Louis in the Central Division.

“It’s a great group of guys,” Yelich said. “They’re playing extremely well. I’m happy to watch them and see what they’re going to do. Hopefully they can win the division and get in the playoffs. And then once you’re in the postseason, it’s like who knows what’s going to happen? You get hot and it could be a cool run. I’m excited for them. We’ll see. Hopefully they can pull it off. I think they’ll be just fine.”