Brewers All-Star Yelich placed on IL, will see specialist to determine if back surgery is needed

CHICAGO (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers were bracing for the possibility that Christian Yelich misses significant time after placing the All-Star outfielder on the 10-day injured list Wednesday because of inflammation in his lower back.

Yelich is scheduled to see a spine specialist on Thursday to figure out his next steps, including whether he needs season-ending surgery.

“Everybody plays through stuff, but sometimes, you just can't,” he said. “That's kind of where we're at at this point. Your body won't cooperate with you. For me, aside from when I broke my knee, this has been the one thing that I've had to deal with. It's frustrating. I've dealt with it a lot during my career.”

Yelich's back has been bothering him for weeks and worsened in recent days. The move to the injured list comes one day after he exited a game against the Chicago Cubs.

“He’s been an offensive machine, the attitude he brings,” manager Pat Murphy said. “He tried like heck to play injured for a while. Hopefully, we can get him back.”

Asked how concerned he is that Yelich won't return this season, Murphy said: “Worry is kind of a waste of time, so I'm trying to not worry. You really end up wasting time worrying. Just get busy, get busy living.”

The Brewers also reinstated catcher Gary Sánchez from the IL on Wednesday.

Yelich, 32, has enjoyed a resurgent season for the NL Central-leading Brewers. He earned his third All-Star Game appearance and leads the NL in batting average (.315) and on-base percentage (.406). He also has 11 homers, 42 RBIs and 21 steals in 73 games.

But he has gone 0 for 9 since the All-Star break and is 1 for 19 over his last six games. He was 0 for 1 with two walks in a 1-0 victory over the Cubs on Tuesday before getting removed for a pinch hitter in the eighth inning.

“I was doing nobody any good out there,” Yelich said. “I kind of just decided that there were big at-bats late in the game, I was definitely not the right person to do that. Being stubborn and going out there wasn't gonna do anybody any good.”

Sánchez, 31, has been out for the last month with a calf strain. He is batting .218 with a .293 on-base percentage, seven homers and 21 RBIs in 51 games.

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