After back surgery halted his resurgent 2024 campaign, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich expects to be on the field for the team’s 2025 regular-season opener on March 27.

“I don’t see any reason why I won’t be ready for Opening Day,” Yelich told reporters at the Brewers’ spring training home in Phoenix, including MLB.com.

“I saw before I came out here that I might be a question mark for Opening Day, and I’m not sure where that came from. Unless something crazy happens here, I don’t see why I wouldn’t be ready.”

Yelich owned the National League’s best batting average (.315) and top on-base percentage (.406) when he landed on the 10-day injured list July 24 due to low back inflammation. He tried to rehab the injury without surgery but eventually opted in mid-August to undergo a season-ending procedure.

The three-time All-Star was on pace for his best season since 2019, when he hit .329 with a .429 OBP. He finished last season with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs in 73 games.

“Once we got in there and did the operation and found the problem, it was like, ‘This is probably not very good,'” Yelich said. “So, yeah, it’s kind of nice to be on the other side of it, and hopefully there are a lot less problems going forward.”

Yelich finally resumed hitting last month.

“I put the work in there and I feel good,” he said.

A first-round pick by the then-Florida Marlins in 2010, Yelich is a career .287 hitter and carries a .377 OBP. He has 204 home runs and 748 RBIs over 12 major league seasons with Marlins (2013-17) and Brewers, and was named NL MVP in 2018.

Entering his eighth season with Milwaukee, Yelich, 33, will try to help the Brewers win their third straight NL Central title and secure their seventh playoff berth in eight years.

Milwaukee starts its 2025 schedule with a three-game road series against the New York Yankees.

–Field Level Media