Christian Yelich sits against Twins on Sunday

Yelich had a chance to maybe do something in the ninth, too, but pinch-runner Brandon Lockridge was easily thrown out trying to steal with Yelich taking a 1-1 ball from Mason Miller, ending the game. Yelich’s homer off Casey Mize was his eighth of the year.

This is against a right-hander, too. Yelich, though, is 3-for-28 with an 8/0 K/BB this month, dropping him down to .232/.316/.371 for the season. It hasn’t cost him any playing time yet, but one wonders if it might once Sal Frelick comes off the injured list.

Yelich got the Brewers on the board with an RBI double in the third inning that helped set up a three-run inning against Pirates’ starter Paul Skenes. He chipped in a stolen base too, his fourth in 15 games since the All-Star break. His bat has been ice cold since then with a .646 OPS, so it’s nice to see him contribute in other ways and hopefully get himself off the schneid.

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.

Yelich gets a break with rookie southpaw Zac Thornton toeing the rubber for New York in this one following eight consecutive starts at DH. It’ll be William Contreras getting a night off from the catching duties with Gary Sánchez behind the dish.