Billy McKinney is giving the Brewers every reason to let Christian Yelich take his time getting over a bout of back stiffness.

McKinney, filling in for Yelich while he’s on the injured list, homered for the second straight night in Tuesday’s 6-0 win over the Padres and made what pitcher Corbin Burnes called “by far the play of the year” for the Brewers by going airborne in the fourth inning to help Burnes out of a jam.

“He deserved to put up a zero after his performance tonight so I was glad to haul that one in,” McKinney said of his diving catch.

Talk about making the most of an opportunity. The Brewers claimed McKinney off waivers from the Blue Jays last September and carried him on the taxi squad late in the year, but never called him up to the Majors. McKinney had to earn his spot as an out-of-options player in Spring Training, where he led the team with four home runs. Three weeks into the regular season, he is a key cog for manager Craig Counsell while Yelich and fellow outfielder Lorenzo Cain (quadriceps) are on the IL.

Including home runs on Monday against the Padres’ Joe Musgrove and on Tuesday against Chris Paddack, McKinney is slashing .303/.324/.535 in his first 33 Brewers at-bats.

“Players want opportunities,” Counsell said. “Players like Billy sometimes, it feels like they don't get a ton of opportunities and you don't know when they're coming. Being able to deliver on those opportunities is easier said than done but that's what Billy's doing. He's been an impactful player. He's played really good defense. He's been a spark.”

Burnes had lost the feel for his breaking balls when McKinney stepped up in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Padres had two runners on base and Wil Myers at the plate when Myers turned on an inside cutter and lined it toward the left-field corner. McKinney said he was well-positioned for Myers to pull thanks to new Brewers first-base coach Quintin Berry.

“I saw him tracking it the whole way,” Burnes said. “I was more impressed that actually Wil Myers got to that pitch that was in there. I mean, it was probably on the chalk in the batter's box in, and he managed to pull his hands in. It jammed him pretty good so it was hanging up in the air, so I thought [McKinney] was going to have a chance. When he laid out and caught it, that was by far the play of the year.”

“I didn't see him make the play,” said Counsell, whose view was obstructed. “I was listening for the fan reaction as much as anything. I thought he had a chance but I had no idea. It was an incredible play. It changed Corbin's night, I know that.”

Yelich is eligible to return from the IL on Saturday, and while the Brewers are eager to get his bat back in the lineup, Counsell said earlier on Tuesday that it was too early to know whether Yelich would be ready on that first day. Until then, McKinney will get opportunity to play.

“He's a reason why we're thriving in a stretch when we're missing some really important players,” Counsell said. “That's what a team does. That's what good teams need to do. They need to get people to step up when guys go down. They need unexpected people to step up and Billy's played that role really well.”