Christian

Yelich

Frelick and Hamilton sat in favor of Luis Lara and Joey Ortiz with a left-hander on the mound for the Padres in Game 1 on Saturday, but they’ll jump into the lineup against right-hander Michael King. The Brewers have also shuffled up the order of their lineup. Here’s the full lineup: Jackson Chourio (LF), Brice Turang (2B), Jake Bauers (1B), William Contreras (C), Garrett Mitchell (CF), Christian Yelich (DH), Frelick (RF), Cooper Pratt (SS) and Hamilton (3B).

The biggest development here is Lara getting the nod in right field with Jake Bauers at the cold corner over Andrew Vaughn. It doesn’t come as a surprise to see Bauers in the lineup, but the widely-held assumption was that he would be their primary right fielder in the postseason. It’s basically Lara getting the nod over Andrew Vaughn to face Padres lefty Robbie Ray. Here’s the full lineup: Jackson Chourio (LF), Brice Turang (2B), William Contreras (C), Bauers (1B), Christian Yelich (DH), Cooper Pratt (SS), Lara (RF), Garrett Mitchell (CF) and Joey Ortiz.

He’s the first official captain in franchise history. This is some interesting time for such a move, given that his decline this year presents questions about his future as a regular. Yelich, who turns 35 in December, has been a modest liability for most of the season; he’s hit .226/.309/.371 in 101 games since returning from a groin strain in mid-May, and he hasn’t played in the field since Apr. 7. He’ll make $26 million each of the next two years before probably becoming a free agent after 2028 (he has a mutual $20 million option with a $6.5 million buyout for 2029).

The Brewers have clinched the division and are playing an early game, so it makes sense that they would rest a handful of their starters. Fantasy managers should expect them to take a similar approach next week, as they will want to give their starters an extra day of rest or two before the postseason.

It was Yelich’s only hit in five at-bats, and it almost seemed like an accident, as he slapped a fastball down the third base line for what he thought was going to be a foul ball. It stayed fair, though, and the Brewers went on to win a game in which they were outhomered three to zero.

Yelich is batting .333 with two homers and nine RBI in his last 12 games. He’ll need to turn in quite the September to avoid finishing with the worst OPS of his career, but we wouldn’t rule it out. He’s hitting .238/.319/.388 right now, putting him at .707. His current low is .736 from 2021.

It appears to just be a routine day off against LHP Sean Manaea. The entire right-handed contingent of Brewers platoon hitters is in against Manaea, with David Hamilton and Sal Frelick staying in the lineup and Turang and Christian Yelich sitting.

Andrew Vaughn is starting against tough Braves LHP Chris Sale. Yelich has been receiving plenty of days off down the stretch, so his fantasy managers in daily leagues should be used to this by now.

Yelich broke the game open in the fifth inning with a three-run blast off Bryce Miller to give the Brewers a commanding lead on their way to a blowout win. He later singled, scored, and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth as the Brewers hit around the order. The 34-year-old outfielder is hitting .228/.308/.374 with nine homers, 51 runs scored, 44 RBI, and 10 steals across 381 plate appearances.

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.