Brewers’ Christian Yelich likely to miss at least a month with adductor strain
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers outfielder/designated hitter Christian Yelich is expected to miss at least a month with an adductor strain. Yelich left in the fifth inning of the Brewers’ 8-6 loss to the Washington Nationals on Sunday with what the team described as tightness in his left hamstring. The Brewers placed him on the injured list Tuesday, retroactive to Monday, and said he had a second-degree adductor strain.
The Brewers estimated he would return in mid-to-late May, though Yelich said he didn’t want to put a timeline on it. “I’m just trying to go about it the best I can, do a good job with the rehab and get back out there as quickly as possible,” Yelich said. Milwaukee also selected infielder/outfielder Greg Jones from Triple-A Nashville and transferred left-handed pitcher Rob Zastryzny to the 60-day injured list.
The 34-year-old Yelich was in the lineup as a designated hitter Sunday and said he started to feel something was off while grounding into a fielder’s choice in the first inning. He stayed in the game and grounded out in the third before getting pulled for a pinch hitter in the fifth. “After running to first in the first inning, it just kind of felt weird,” Yelich said.
“I just thought it was tight, kept going and after my (next) at-bat, I felt like it was weird. ” Milwaukee already had outfielder Jackson Chourio and first baseman Andrew Vaughn on the injured list due to hand issues. The Brewers said Tuesday that Chourio is expected to return in early May and Vaughn could come back in mid-May.
The Brewers also are playing without starting pitcher Quinn Priester (thoracic outlet) and reliever Jared Koenig (elbow). Milwaukee had lost five straight for its longest skid since 2003 as it prepared to open a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday. “We’ve had a lot of adversity early,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.