Christian Yelich heads for rehab at Nashville after back improves
There was plenty of good news for the Milwaukee Brewers on the health front Thursday morning but none more so than Christian Yelich feeling well enough to go on minor-league rehab at Class AAA Nashville.
Yelich, who tested his ailing back for one game in Philadelphia on the last road trip before going back on the 10-day injured list, made enough progress in recent days through a different treatment and activity regimen to give it a go in Nashville beginning Friday night.
The minor leagues had not started play on Monday, May 3, when the star leftfielder tested his back against the Phillies. Now, the Brewers can proceed with a structured rehab plan to assure Yelich is healthy enough to return to action fully for the first time since April 11, when he left a game in St. Louis with lower back discomfort.
“We switched some things just from the medical perspective that worked for Christian and clicked for him and changed how he felt,” manager Craig Counsell said. “That allowed him to increase his activity, and he’s been able to increase it without any worsening following the activity and waking up the next morning feeling good and ready to have a full day again.
“So, just good signs and ready to take the next step.”
Counsell said Yelich was able to ramp up his baseball activity in recent days without any setbacks, putting in motion the plan to go to Nashville.
“So, this whole week – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and today – he’s going basically full strength,” Counsell said. “Everything’s been with good intent and he’s felt really good. So, we’re going to ease him into the games there. We’re learning more about how to help him and how to make him feel better and how his back’s going to react to the different things that a game offers that’s very difficult to simulate through exercise.
“He’ll get two at-bats (Friday) and play three or four innings, then we’ll just kind of do it stepping-stone on how he feels following that, and slowly increase that, then we’ll see where we’re at after the weekend. We’re just going to kind of treat it daily now. But, he’s at the point of playing, and that’s obviously a really good sign.”
The Brewers also announced catcher Omar Narváez and right-hander Josh Lindblom had been activated from the 10-day injured list along with right-hander Corbin Burnes, who returned to the rotation to start the series finale against St. Louis at American Family Field after being sidelined following a positive test for COVID-19.
To make room for Narváez and Lindblom, the Brewers optioned catcher Luke Maile and right-hander Patrick Weigel to Nashville. They also designated catcher Jacob Nottingham for assignment and sent right-hander Zack Godley outright to Nashville.
It is the second time Nottingham has been designated or assignment in the last two weeks. He was claimed by Seattle the first time but reacquired by the Brewers when they got caught short of catchers with injuries to Narváez and Manny Piña.
The Brewers also announced utility player Daniel Robertson, out with a concussion since getting hit on the helmet with a pitch in Chicago on April 25, would be going on minor-league rehab to Nashville.
Catching is whole again
The Brewers were back to their original two catchers with Narváez recovered from a strained left hamstring suffered May 30 against the Dodgers. Piña was activated Saturday after recovering from a fracture in his left big toe.
The Brewers were so thin on catching that prospect Mario Feliciano had to come up for one game May 1, during which he scored the winning run in the 11th inning against the Dodgers. They also were prompted to reacquire Nottingham, who now is in limbo again.
“Jacob filled a need we had for the time that Omar was out,” Counsell said. “It’s a tough go for him as far as being kind of in a little bit of no-man’s land and being kind of back and forth. We’ll see what happens the next week with Jacob and go from there.”
Narváez was leading the Brewers with a .368 batting average at the time of his injury, with three home runs and 11 RBI. With he and Yelich sidelined and slump-ridden Keston Hiura sent to Nashville in hopes of rediscovering his stroke, the offense has struggled to score runs. Counsell understandably was happy to see his top catcher back without having to go on minor-league rehab.
“I think we just felt that the length of time that he was out was small enough to get him going here,” Counsell said. “So, we’ll take it a little slow with him this weekend, but he’s ready to play. We didn’t think the rehab games would help us necessarily determine anything here.
“It’s great getting Omar back. He’s made an impact on both sides of the ball, for sure, and he was swinging the bat great and in the middle of a lot of our offense, for sure. So, it’s a good bat to welcome back to the lineup.”
Pitching plans come together
Burnes is back in the rotation and Lindblom is back in the bullpen, meaning the pitching staff has returned to full strength with its key components.
With off days Monday and next Thursday bookending a two-game series at Kansas City, Counsell has chosen to start Freddy Peralta on normal rest Sunday against the Atlanta Braves and keep the rest of the rotation in line.
The presence of lefty Eric Lauer in the bullpen allows Counsell more flexibility when the situation calls for it, however. Lauer has made two spot starts and is likely to make more.
“Eric will be out of the bullpen for now,” Counsell said. “There’s going to be a time where we’re going to go back to six starters, and it’s likely that he’ll be that guy.”
Lindblom, back from a knee issue, is another possibility to start games if needed, and Brent Suter has a spot start to his credit as well.
“I think it’s a little bit of a puzzle always,” Counsell said. “It’s also important that we protect the guys in the bullpen because the extra reliever, when you use an extra starter, you’re generally taking away from having an extra reliever.
“From the rotation perspective, I like how it’s laying out for these guys. I think it’s going to set some of our important players up to have success throughout the whole year, and we can keep them healthy and keep them fresh as much as possible or as long as possible in terms of stretches where maybe we have to go on the four days.
“But we’re in a good stretch right now where I think we’re going to be able to really get them in a good place through a good chunk of the season.”
