PHOENIX — Christian Yelich, the outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers, has assured fans that he will be fully prepared for the upcoming season. After undergoing back surgery six months ago, which cut short a promising season for him, Yelich reported to training camp Saturday, fully energized and aiming for an even more successful 2025 season.
“I saw before I came here that I might be a question mark for Opening Day and I’m not sure where that came from,” shared Yelich, who claimed the NL MVP title in 2018. “Unless something unexpected happens, I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t be ready.”
The Brewers are set to kick off their season on March 27 at Yankee Stadium. Last year, Yelich, 33, recorded impressive stats including a .315 batting average, .406 on-base percentage, .504 slugging percentage, along with 11 home runs, 42 RBIs, and 21 steals in just 73 games before his back surgery, with his last game played on July 23. The hope surrounding Yelich’s surgery was that it would not only prepare him for the current season but also address the ongoing issues that had hampered him and help prevent future injuries.
“Once we got in there and did the operation and found the problem, it was like, ‘This is probably not very good,’” Yelich remarked. “So, yeah, it’s kind of nice to be on the other side of it, and hopefully there are a lot less problems going forward.”
Since beginning to swing a bat pain-free in January, Yelich is optimistic about his defensive capabilities as well. He intends to reclaim his usual position in left field when the season commences. Manager Pat Murphy agrees with Yelich’s assessment, affirming that “he is still our left fielder.” However, Yelich will also share designated hitter responsibilities throughout the season along with players like catcher William Contreras and first baseman Rhys Hoskins.
“I still feel like I’m capable of playing the outfield and I’d like to do that as much as possible,” Yelich expressed. “But it’s nice mixing in a DH day or two, also.”
Yelich’s readiness to return is welcomed by the Brewers, especially as they lose shortstop Willy Adames to the San Francisco Giants in free agency. Milwaukee’s management decided not to acquire new players to reinforce the offense, putting the onus on existing players to enhance their performance based on what they achieved in 2024.
While Yelich is acknowledged as a key player in this lineup, he understands the necessity of collective effort.
“We’ve faced challenges every year it seems on this team,” Yelich noted. “It’s going to take somebody stepping up in here because they didn’t really go outside of the organization to fill those voids. It’s going to have to come internally. Somebody’s going to have to step up.”
