Brewers' Yelich still hoping to avoid back surgery this season

MILWAUKEE --Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich hopes to avoid surgery as he attempts to return later this season from the lower back inflammation that landed him on the injured list.

"I've dealt with back stuff for a while and been able to kind of manage it and get through it and find a way to be out there," Yelich said Thursday before his annual charity event to benefit veterans and the Milwaukee community. "We're going to come up with a great plan, we've got some steps to try to rehab this thing along way and really get back out there as soon as possible. Who knows when that's going to be, how quick that can be? I'm hoping as quick as possible."

Yelich has dealt with back issues periodically for the last few seasons. The back problems have continued this year even as he earned his third All-Star Game appearance.

He missed about a month earlier this year because of a lower back strain. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth inning of a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday and went back on the injured list the next day.

Yelich has gone 0 for 9 since the All-Star break and 1 of 19 over his last six games while dealing with his back pain. Yelich said Wednesday that "everybody plays through stuff, but sometimes, you just can't," and added that "that's kind of where we're at at this point."

The 2018 NL MVP met with a specialist Thursday morning and went over a recovery plan.

"Obviously, I want to be the best version of myself for this year and going into the future and obviously get a handle on this thing so I can be out on the field as often as possible," Yelich said.

Yelich has played a major role in helping the Brewers lead the NL Central after trading 2021 Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes and losing manager Craig Counsell to the Chicago Cubs in the offseason. The 32-year-old is batting .315 with a .406 on-base percentage, 11 homers, 42 RBI and 21 steals in 73 games.

He would be leading the NL in batting average and on-base percentage if he had enough plate appearances to qualify.

"I don't know if a lot of people through we'd be in this position when we started things in spring training," Yelich said. "It's a special group. I really want to help contribute to that down the stretch. No surgery planned at this time. We'll kind of just see how it goes."