Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich left Wednesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh inning. After the game, Brewers manager Craig Counsell told reporters that Yelich was dealing with right oblique stiffness, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
The Brewers host the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, and Yelich will likely get the day off with left-hander Jon Lester on the mound.
Yelich didn't say when he suffered the injury, but he did specify to McCalvy that it didn't occur when he slid in foul ground to make an excellent catch on a Yadier Molina fly ball.
"It's just a precautionary thing, making sure it doesn't turn into something bigger," Yelich said to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We'll have to wait and see how it's feeling tomorrow and re-evaluate it. It's still early. Hopefully, it's not too bad and I'll be back out there soon."
Acquired in an offseason trade with the Miami Marlins, Yelich has already made quite the impression on his new club. Even after going 0-for-3 against Cardinals hurler Carlos Martinez, Yelich is hitting .385/.407/.577 with a home run, six runs scored, and five RBIs. He's shown potential to become the offense's linchpin near the top of the lineup.
If he misses time, the Brewers have several options to take his place. Hernan Perez filled in when he left Wednesday's game, and Ryan Braun played the bulk of his career in left field before moving to first base ahead of 2018.
