Milwaukee Brewers Announce Sudden Christian Yelich Decision During Pirates Series

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 01: Christian Yelich #22 of the Milwaukee Brewers rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field on September 01, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The Milwaukee Brewers are going for the three-game sweep on Thursday afternoon after winning each of their first two games against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ahead of the matchup, which will feature right-hander Kyle Harrison for Milwaukee against Pirates righty Wilber Dotel. Brewers manager Pat Murphy made some sudden changes to the team’s starting lineup.

Brewers Announce Sudden Christian Yelich Decision

One of the more notable moves was giving veteran slugger Christian Yelich the day off after he recorded a hit and two RBIs on Wednesday.

Yelich does occasionally sit, but it tends to happen when a lefty is on the mound, not a righty.

However, with a quick turnaround tomorrow as they’ll begin a weekend series with the Baltimore Orioles, it makes sense to give some of the veterans a day off, as catcher William Contreras will also be out of the starting lineup.

Here’s the full Brewers lineup:

Via Underdog MLB: “Brewers 9/17 B. Turang 2B L. Lara CF J. Chourio LF A. Vaughn 1B G. Sánchez DH J. Ortiz SS S. Frelick RF B. Naylor C D. Hamilton 3B K. Harrison SP.”

Brewers 9/17

B. Turang 2B
L. Lara CF
J. Chourio LF
A. Vaughn 1B
G. Sánchez DH
J. Ortiz SS
S. Frelick RF
B. Naylor C
D. Hamilton 3B

K. Harrison SP

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) September 17, 2026

Yelich’s 2026 Season

In his 14th MLB season, Yelich has appeared in 111 games and is batting .239 across 418 at-bats, with 66 runs, 100 hits, 11 home runs, and 56 RBIs while posting a .383 slugging percentage and a .701 OPS.

It’s been another productive year for the 34-year-old, despite taking somewhat of a step back from the role he’s used to as he mainly serves as the designated hitter.

Looking at the Brewers

With nine regular-season games remaining, the Brewers control their own destiny to finish with the No. 1 seed in the National League and the best overall record in Major League Baseball.

They enter Thursday with a 95-57 record and a 3.0-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top seed in the NL. That spot not only carries a first-round bye but also home-field advantage throughout the postseason.