is out for the season. The Brewers star outfielder announced ( ) that hell undergo surgery to addre s a back injury tomorrow. In a statement by the team, Yelich said he was hopeful of being 100% recovered for the 2025 season. For the past month, it has been a near inevitability that Yelich was headed for surgery. He went on the 10-day injured list the week before the trade deadline after playing through lower back discomfort. Yelich visited a spine specialist and initially tried a non-surgical rehab thatd allow him to delay the procedure until the offseason. The hope was to get healthy enough to be able to contribute to the Brewers pennant push before more definitively addre sing the problem at years end. As Yelich explained today, the injury wasnt getting better over the past few weeks. He added that he ran out of options that would allow him to make it back this season. The former MVP understandably expre sed disappointment that he wont be able to contribute on the field but indicated hed remain around the team while they attempt to lock down a second consecutive NL Central title (link via ). Its a tough end to what was shaping up as Yelichs best season in a few years. He was utterly dominant during his first two years in Milwaukee, following up an MVP campaign in 2018 with a runner-up finish in 19. Yelich paced the Senior Circuit in OPS both seasons. His production dropped sharply after that. From 2020-23, he was a solid but not elite hitter. Yelich remained a good player who appeared to be on the decline coming into this year, his age-32 Osvaldo Bido Jersey season. He completely flipped that script with a monster first half. Yelich raked at a .315/.406/.504 clip acro s 315 plate appearances. He homered 11 times and stole 21 bases while being thrown out just once. The three-time Silver Slugger Award winner cut his strikeout rate to 18.4%, the lowest of his Brewers tenure, while drawing walks at an excellent 12.4% clip. Even if he wasnt quite back to an MVP level, Yelich was an easy call to start for the National League in the All-Star Game. Among hitters with 300+ plate appearances, Yelich is fifth in average and fourth in on-base percentage. Hes within the top 20 in slugging output. His overall offensive production was 53 percentage points better than league average, as measured by wRC+. Thats quite comfortably tops on the team and 13th in the majors overall (with that 300 PA minimum). Yelichs rate production sits between that of and . Milwaukee isnt going to be able to replace that kind of output. They were aware that Yelich might not make it back by the deadline. The front office reportedly sought a who could offer some punch against righty pitching but ultimately didnt find a deal to their liking. Their deadline acquisitions ended up being exclusively on the pitching side, as they brought in and reliever (in addition to their early-July pickup of ). The Montas trade actually sacrificed a bit of outfield depth since they sent to Cincinnati, though Wiemer wasnt playing well enough in Triple-A to take on a meaningful role in Milwaukee. Star rookie has moved to left field in Yelichs absence. The 20-year-old is on a tear after a slow start to his debut campaign. Chourio has hit over .300 in each of the past three months. Hes hitting .274/.320/.441 on the season and has a ma sive .320/.368/.510 slash going back to June 1. is having a decent year in right field, hitting .259/.333/.331 with above-average defensive grades. Former first-round pick is back from injury to handle center field duties. Its still an extremely talented outfield, but any lineup would be much improved with Yelich in the middle of the order. The injury shouldnt stop the Brewers from making the postseason. At 69-52, theyve built a comfortable nine-game cushion in the NL Central. Milwaukee is in a tight battle for one of the top two seeds in the National League and the accompanying first-round bye. Theyre a game and a half behind the Phillies and Dodgers, who are separated by percentage points for the NLs best record. Yelich remains a foundational piece for the Brew Crew in the long term. Hes under contract at $26MM annually for four seasons beyond this one. The team holds a $20MM option for the 29 campaign. Yelich has dealt with intermittent back i sues dating back to his first few seasons with the Marlins. The surgery will hopefully prevent that from being a major concern as he nears his mid-30s. Image courtesy of USA Today Sports. Zach Jackson Jersey