Brewers' Christian Yelich: Making spring debut over weekend

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said he expects Yelich to make his Cactus League debut at some point this weekend, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Extended plate appearances aren't as beneficial in spring training for an established veteran like Yelich compared to a younger player looking to secure an Opening Day roster spot, so the two-time All-Star has instead spent the early part of camp taking part in live batting practice and simulated games to ready himself for the upcoming season. After three consecutive seasons with a sub-.800 OPS, Yelich enjoyed something of a bounce-back campaign in 2023, slashing .278/.370/.447 with 19 home runs and 28 stolen bases across 144 games. Most of Yelich's underlying numbers supported the jump in his batting average and power production, so fantasy players can probably target the 32-year-old outfielder with a greater degree of confidence in fantasy drafts compared to the past couple of years. Even though Murphy is now serving as the Brewers' skipper due to Craig Counsell moving on to the Cubs, Yelich is still expected to occupy his familiar perch atop the order in 2024.