Without Christian Yelich, Brewers' Lineup Will Need to Assume New Shape

[Matthew Trueblood]

Quietly, the Brewers' All-Star outfielder and best hitter had become their full-time DH over the last two weeks. Now, he's on the injured list, and it sounds like he'll be there for a while. The team has to make some big adjustments, but it's a bit less devastating because of the positional void he leaves.

Image courtesy of © Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

As the Brewers tried to work with Christian Yelich to manage his nagging back issue, they took him off the field completely during their defensive innings. Yelich started the All-Star Game in the outfield for the National League, but hasn't started there for the Brewers since Jul. 9. In fact, in 24 games going back to Jun. 23, he's only started eight times out there. Part of that is the ongoing emergence of Jackson Chourio, who is becoming a dynamic two-way player and forced his way into the lineup every day right around the time Garrett Mitchell returned from the injured list. Part, too, though, is that Yelich is aging and battling this injury, which might sideline him for quite a while.

Without Yelich, the Milwaukee lineup is much less impressive than it was when he was at his best, leading the NL in batting average at the break. They're still dangerous, though, and it's notable that the player now yanked out of the picture is one whom they were only asking to be the DH, anyway. In the move sending Yelich to the shelf, Gary Sánchez was activated, giving the Brewers (nominally) three catchers on the active roster. In reality, on any given day over the next several weeks, they might have two catchers and a DH who is otherwise a catcher. Haase has hit tremendously well since being called up to fill in for Sánchez last month, and while Sánchez himself has been disappointing at the plate, he's a legitimate power threat.

Carrying all three backstops should permit the Brewers to use William Contreras as the DH a bit more often, too, helping keep him fresh for the stretch drive. Haase is a more trustworthy defender behind the plate than Sánchez, making it easier to take Contreras out of that part of the game. With Chourio playing so well and Sal Frelick, Blake Perkins, and Mitchell giving them such a formidable defense-first corps for the other two outfield spots, the Brewers won't miss Yelich from a positional perspective. They have players they want to give playing time at DH. They have players they want to play in the outfield.

What can't be replaced, though, is Yelich's sheer production, and his creativity and versatility in the offensive game. One of the best base stealers in the modern era and one of the best hard-line-drive-to-the-opposite-field hitters of this century, Yelich has been showing off his power and his speed all season, from dropping gorgeous bunts to blasting 450-foot home runs. The Brewers couldn't be in better shape to backfill for this loss, but the volume of his offensive value makes this a huge blow.

To replace what's now missing, the team needs better production from Sánchez, a return to early-season form from William Contreras, and for Willy Adames and Rhys Hoskins to find their gear. The pressure falls especially on Hoskins, the only player on the club whose salary approaches that of Yelich and whose value is all tied up in his bat, too. Against some right-handed pitchers, the Brewers might even elect to make Hoskins the direct replacement for Yelich, taking his stiff defensive actions out of the equation and using him as the DH, with Jake Bauers manning first.

Hoskins has had a tough season, dealing with his own physical limitations at times and just struggling to get to pitches he usually crushes at others. Even so, he's been a league-average bat, but now, the team needs him to be more. He's shown the same bedrock of skills (driving the ball in the air to the pull field, accepting his walks, and not striking out as often as many hitters who specialize in those things) this season as in his last few, when he was much better than this. For the Crew to smoothly survive without Yelich, they need him to put those pieces together and become the punisher in the middle of their lineup the rest of the way.

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[izzi]

Wouldn’t it make sense to finally call up Brewer Hicklen? He was added to the 40-man recently, and is a power bat who plays the outfield. Because, you’re right, the issue is replacing Christian’s production at the plate. There’s nobody currently on our bench who can come close to replicating his numbers. While Hicklen is certainly unproven, now is the time to see how his 0.950 OPS in Triple A translates to the Big Leagues.

[jay87shot]

I would probably give William Contreras a ton of games at DH, like a week straight. We really need to get him right without Yeli. I would also bring up Black as a superutility guy, I get he isn't ready defensively but he has a bat that can help somewhere. I also think this makes it easier to look at a bat like Brent Rooker. Black is a great starting piece for Rooker if need be. Black and 2 pitching prospect probably would be close.

[BrewerFan]

This is why I'd HOPED the Brewers would at least try and move Yelich in the off-season to a team like LAD, SD...LAA, Seattle, whomever. 

Good dude, really good player, but he's had back problems his whole career, now again, as he's gotten hot, he's out of the lineup, likely for the year. Just a kick in the gut.

 

On the bright side(maybe)...he'll move past these back injuries. That was his take. I think it's incredibly unlikely, but who knows.