Yelich gets two at-bats in Triple-A game

After dealing with nagging injuries to start the season, Christian Yelich took another step towards his MLB return in his first game with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds.

In his first action back from injury on Friday night, Yelich went 0-2 with two strikeouts. Following the Brewers’ plan, Yelich had two at-bats and went three innings in left field before being replaced in the fourth by Dylan Cozens.

“As much as anything, he's just overall, missed the season. We're a good chunk into it right now and he's had to watch games from the sidelines. That's no fun for any player,” said Brewers manager Craig Counsell.

Prior to Friday’s game it was clear Yelich was ready to get back on the field and shared his excitement on Twitter with a picture of First Horizon Park.

“We're hoping we've turned the corner here. These are all little signs, and the most important thing we're going to find out is [how he feels] after the game and when he wakes up in the morning, and as we kind of move forward here playing back-to-back, and things like that,” said Counsell. “But I think we're in a really good place right now. I know he's excited to get going.”

With the addition of Yelich, the Sounds didn't look like the average Minor League lineup. Of course, as a former MVP, Yelich was the first name to stand out, but he also joined Dee Strange-Gordon and Keston Hiura at the top of the Sounds lineup.

Friday was Yelich’s first action on the diamond since a two-hit performance against the Phillies on May 3. Yelich has only appeared in 10 games this season, but in that limited time, he had 12 hits with a .353 average.

Before he played against the Phillies, Yelich had spent significant time on the IL due to lingering stiffness and lower back pain. That pain reemerged after his outing in Philly, forcing him to go back on the IL. However, after changing his treatment regimen, the Brewers began to see improvement from their star outfielder, resulting in Friday's action.