MILWAUKEE-. The Milwaukee Brewers, leaders of the National League Central Division, will have to continue their campaign without Christian Yelich.
Yelich is set to undergo season-ending back surgery on Friday, the season that had marked his resurgence. Named the 2018 National League Most Valuable Player, Yelich led the league in batting average (.315) and on-base percentage (.406) when he went on the disabled list in late July.
The star has not played since July 23, when he was removed from a game at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. He has dealt with back problems in recent years, and the ailment landed him on the disabled list twice this season.
Yelich, 32, said in a video posted on social media Thursday that surgery “was just the best option that we really had left.”
“It just got to the point where it couldn’t get any better,” Yelich explained. “I tried everything I could, exhausted my options, and it was 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. This sucks,” Yelich said. “It’s terrible. But it’s part of the sport. These things happen. You get hurt, you fix it and you move on. You have to try to stay as optimistic as you can through this.”
Yelich was having his best season since his first two years in Milwaukee. He won the MVP award in 2018. A season later, he finished second in voting for that award.
He was selected to the All-Star Game for the third time this season, and totaled 11 homers, 42 RBIs and 21 steals in 73 games despite dealing with back problems.
Manager Pat Murphy has praised Yelich all season for the leadership he has brought to a young team that has overcome numerous injuries to remain atop the Central since late April.
The Brewers will not have Yelich leading their team as they seek what would be the first World Series title in franchise history.
