Christian Yelich DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) is in camp and said that his rehab from back surgery is on schedule. Yelich added that there's no reason to think that he won't be ready for Opening Day in late March. The 33-year-old veteran outfielder had a microdiscectomy to fix a herniated disc in his lower back last August and will be taking things slowly at spring training, but barring a setback, he should be ready to go for the start of the 2025 regular season. Chronic back issues have slowed the former MVP down over the years, but if the surgery he had last year completely fixed his problems, he could be a beast for fantasy managers. There's plenty of risk in his profile, but Yelich is still a top-30 outfielder after hitting .315/.406/.504 with a .909 OPS, 11 homers, 42 RBI and 21 steals in 73 games before he was shut down in 2024. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 27 fantasy outfielder for 2025.

MLB.com's Adam McCalvy writes that Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) isn't a lock to be ready for Opening Day in late March after having back surgery last August. When Yelich does make his return, it's a good bet that the Brewers will ease him in as the designated hitter often. The good news is Milwaukee has plenty of outfield depth if Yelich isn't ready right away. Specifically, the 33-year-old veteran outfielder had a microdiscectomy to fix a herniated disc in his lower back. The Brew Crew will ease Yelich in during spring training. Before being shut down with his back injury in 2024, the former MVP and three-time All-Star was raking, slashing .315/.406/.504 with a .909 OPS, 11 homers, 42 RBI, 21 steals and 44 runs scored in 73 games played. There's clear risk here for fantasy managers, but if Yelich bounces back to his pre-injury form, he'll be a steal. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 26 outfielder.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said that he doesn't think outfielder Christian Yelich (back) will be 100 percent at the start of spring training. Murphy added that he thinks Yelich will be ahead of right-hander Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) as far as being game-ready this spring. It's no surprise for the 33-year-old Yelich after he underwent a microdiscectomy procedure on his back last August to fix a herniated disc in his lower back. The Brewers will understandably take things slow with Yelich in camp, but the good news is that barring any setbacks with his back, he's expected to be ready to roll by Opening Day at the end of March. Injury risk with Yelich for fantasy managers is very clear, but it should be more reassuring that he was excellent before his back shut him down in 2024, as he hit .315/.406/.504 with 11 home runs and 21 steals in 73 games played. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 26 fantasy outfielder.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) hasn't resumed swinging a bat yet, but he's doing other baseball movements and should be ready to go early in spring training. "I think that was a big part of why he had the surgery sooner than later," general manager Matt Arnold said. "He's in a really good spot right now." Yelich's 2024 season ended early when he decided to have a microdiscectomy procedure to fix a herniated disc in his lower back. It's an injury that the 33-year-old veteran has dealt with for years, so the hope is that the surgery will alleviate those concerns moving forward. Although he only played in 73 games in 2024, Yelich made his third All-Star squad by hitting .315/.406/.504 with a .909 OPS, 11 homers, 42 RBI and 21 steals in 315 plate appearances. Yelich could be a league-winner if he can return to his MVP production, but his health is a big question mark.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) said he underwent a microdiscectomy and said he'll have a rough timeline of three months. By the time Yelich and the Brewers had decided in the surgical route, the pain was impacting his day-to-day life, not just baseball activity. He thinks the surgery will help alleviate the chronic back issues he's dealt with for years. "I think everybody sees back surgery, and they kind of are like, 'Oh, that's the end of your career.' Honestly, in my mind, that couldn't be any farther from the truth. I think that it's going to help me tremendously. I think I'll probably feel a lot better than I have in the last few years going forward, so in that sense, it's cool," Yelich said. The 32-year-old should be ready for the start of spring training, but fantasy managers are going to be hesitant to pull the trigger on an aging outfielder coming off a serious back surgery.