Reigning National League MVP Christian Yelich left Sunday's game against the New York Mets with lower back discomfort and is day-to-day, according to manager Craig Counsell. Yelich went 1 for 2 in the game with a single off Stephen Matz in the fourth inning before he made his early exit.
Ben Gamel replaced Yelich in right field to begin the bottom of the fifth inning. Counsell told reporters after the game that Yelich's lower back stiffened up after trying to make a break for a steal. Counsell also added that he doesn't think the injury will force Yelich to end up on the injured list, and that for right now, he's day-to-day.
The outfielder has battled back issues before. In 2018, he missed just under two weeks with a strained oblique in April and he missed nearly a week at the end of June with a sore back. During his time with the Marlins in 2014 and 2015, Yelich also had stints on the injured list with a lower back strain as well as back spasms.
Yelich came into Sunday hitting .350/.459/.810. The Brewers outfielder currently leads the MLB in home runs (14), and on Friday he tied Alex Rodriguez (2006) and Albert Pujols (2007) for the most home runs hit before May 1 in MLB history.
