MLB Star Christian Yelich Is Undergoing Surgery for an Ongoing Issue

The 2024 MLB season has been a tough one for Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich. Despite leading the NL earlier in the season, Yelich's momentum was halted when he was placed on the injured list in late July, according to AP News. He hasn't played since the July 23 game at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, and now, instead of finishing the season on the field, he’ll be closing it out in the operating room.

In an Aug. 15 post on X, Yelich revealed that he’s scheduled for surgery on Aug. 16, 2024. Here's a closer look at his current condition and the past injuries that have sidelined him.

Christian has been struggling with back issues for some time now and has decided to undergo surgery to treat the problem. The star player announced in August 2024 that surgery "was just the best option that we really had left." He explained that "it just got to the point where it wasn’t getting better. I tried everything I could, ran out of options, and it came time to make a decision."

While Christian emphasized that the circumstances "suck," he acknowledged that "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." Christian is said to be undergoing surgery in Milwaukee, performed by Dr. Brandon Rebholz.

In addition to back problems, Christian has experienced his fair share of injuries on the field.

During the Brewers series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022, Christian exited Chase Field with neck discomfort. According to the Brewers manager Craig Counsell, Christian "irritated his neck" during his second at-bat. Craig confirmed that the injury wasn't serious, noting that he was listed as day-to-day and would most likely miss a few games.

On Sept. 3, Christian spoke with the media about his injury, stating that his neck "locked up" after swinging the bat. He continued to play, but after making an incredible running catch in the next inning, the 32-year-old left fielder said his neck "fully locked up," leading to a limited range of motion to the point where he could barely get off the training table.

After sitting out for the rest of the Brewers series against the Diamondbacks, Christian returned to the team's lineup on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. With the 2018 National League MVP back to batting leadoff and covering left field, the Brewers defeated the Colorado Rockies to secure the first win of the series. By the next night, Christian was back to his full abilities.

On Sept. 6, the Brewers faced off against the Rockies at Coors Field; although they lost 10-7, Milwaukee wasted no time scoring as Christian Yelich launched the fourth pitch into the third deck. According to the MLB, the 499-foot home run is not only the longest of the 2022 season, but also the third-longest since Statcast started tracking homers in 2015.

"It felt pretty good, but obviously a tough night afterwards for us," Christian said of his dinger. "It's one of those ones where everything kind of lines up for you, catching a really good spot. Oddly enough, it was my first home run [at Coors Field] in nine or 10 times playing here [100 previous at-bats], so I guess if you’re gonna wait that long, make it count."

We’re wishing Christian a speedy and successful recovery from surgery!