Christian Yelich takes a seat Tuesday vs. lefty

Bauers was slated to hit third in this one with Christian Yelich being dropped in the lineup. He’s also been battling a toe issue recently. It’ll be Garrett Mitchell moving up to the third spot in his place and Yelich bumping up to fifth. It doesn’t sound like a significant concern, but fantasy managers should keep an eye on his status for the remainder of the week.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy told reporters they’re moving Yelich down in an effort to generate a spark and get things trending in a different direction. It’ll be Jake Bauers moving up to the third spot in front of cleanup hitter William Contreras to face Pirates starter Jared Jones. Yelich has been ice-cold since last month’s All-Star break, hitting .192 (10-for-52) with one homer in 13 games.

The Brewers have routinely used Sunday as a day of rest for Yelich in an effort to keep him healthy and fresh for the duration of the season. Jake Bauers will function as the team’s designated hitter in his place and will bat fifth against Walbert Urena and the Angels on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles.

The acquisition of Bo Naylor in a trade with the Guardians earlier on Saturday seemed like a potential precursor to a Sánchez trade, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Rosenthal and Sammon add that the Brewers view Naylor as another layer of protection behind starter William Contreras heading toward the postseason.

Naylor’s arrival seems to signal that Milwaukee is open to moving current backup catcher Gary Sánchez. The 26-year-old former top prospect never lived up to his potential in Cleveland, but he represents an interesting reclamation project for the Brewers behind starter William Contreras. He’s flashed some occasional over-the-fence pop, but needs to start making more frequent hard contact if he’s going to be a fantasy-relevant option in the future. It’s the type of challenge trade between two forward-thinking front offices that has a range of potential outcomes wider than the Grand Canyon.

This is a fascinating challenge trade between two savvy front offices and player development factories. FanSided’s Robert Murray adds that Blake Perkins is also in the deal. Naylor wound up back in the minors after Cleveland picked up defensive specialist Patrick Bailey from the Giants back in May. The 26-year-old former top prospect represents an interesting reclamation project of sorts for the Brewers as they’ll attempt to unlock his potential as more of a long-term gamble. It also seems to signal that they’re ready to move current backup catcher Gary Sánchez to another contender. Yoho has always been an intriguing relief prospect and he’s finally started to gain some traction at the highest level this season. He fortifies Cleveland’s bullpen as a solid middle relief arm, with the potential to grow into a more prominent fixture, for the next couple years.

With the Brew Crew trailing 1-0, Contreras changed that in a hurry with a three-run homer off Pete Fairbanks to give Milwaukee the victory in the series finale. It’s just the 10th homer of the season for the 28-year-old — who otherwise has put together a solid season — and he’s now driven in 57 runs in 98 games. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Contreras starts seeing more balls going over the fence over the summer months, but in the meantime, at least he contributes in the average category as seen in his .280 mark.

It’s the third straight week that Contreras has gotten a breather on a Sunday. If you’re going to get a day off though, doing so against Paul Skenes isn’t the worst idea in the world. Gary Sanchez will start in his place behind the dish and bat fifth for the Brewers on Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh.

The Brewers continue to mix in plenty of off days for their 34-year-old slugger to make sure that he stays healthy for the duration of the season. Jake Bauers will serve as the designated hitter in his place on Thursday while Andrew Vaughn draws a start at first base and will bat sixth against Cardinals’ right-hander Andre Pallante.

Yelich’s second double broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh for what proved to be the final run of the game. The Brewers also beat the Cardinals 4-3 last night. For Yelich, it’s his first game with three hits since May 26 and his first game with multiple extra-base hits since May 18. He entered the day in a 5-for-47 slump that had dropped his OPS to .700.