Christian Yelich scratched from Brewers lineup with back issue; Josh Hader won't appear at the all-star game

MINNEAPOLIS - Christian Yelich was scratched from the Milwaukee Brewers lineup Tuesday with mid-back tightness.

Roughly three hours prior to first pitch against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field, Yelich felt something grab in the middle portion of his back.

“He’s unable to go today,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.

Yelich missed two weeks last season with a lower back injury in May and has dealt with occasional back problems throughout his career. He missed time in each of his first two seasons with Milwaukee in 2018-19 with back injuries but neither required an injury list stint.

This flare-up is different from those injuries, however.

“It’s not the stuff that’s bugged him in the past,” Counsell said.

Counsell would not reveal whether Yelich was going to be available off the bench Tuesday or if the issue would keep him out of the lineup for Wednesday’s series finale.

Josh Hader to miss all-star game

Being named a Major League Baseball all-star is one of the game’s greatest honors, but dad duty at home surpasses it for Brewers closer Josh Hader.

Hader will not travel to Los Angeles next week for the all-star game, instead opting to take the time to remain at home with his wife, Maria, and their newborn son, Lucas.

The Haders’ first child, Lucas was born just under one month ago after Maria experienced pregnancy complications.

“First off, it’s an honor to go to the game, to be named as part of an all-star selection,” Hader said Tuesday at Target Field. “But I think my duty is to be with my family and just to be ready for the second half. My family needs me at this time. It’s the decision we made.”

Being away from family can be one of the greatest challenges for any baseball player and especially so for players with infants. Hader has experienced that over the course of the 2022 season. In May, he was placed on the family medical emergency list while Maria was in the hospital dealing with complications.

Lucas was born on June 15 and Hader was away from the Brewers on a road trip for six games with his family. Hader was placed on the restricted list for the final two after using up the allotted three given by MLB for the paternity list; he was active but not with the team for the first game of the stretch.

Considering all the Haders have gone through–and the limited number of breaks players get during the season–it simply made the most sense for the lefthander to forego the trip to Dodger Stadium for his fourth all-star selection.

“Josh has had, for the last six weeks, a lot on his plate for sure,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “Road trips are stressful and we have a bunch of guys in this position here where it’s just a difficult spot where you have a newborn and you have to leave.

"The all-star game is a great honor and it’s not an easy choice to make but it’s a choice and I think we all understand Josh’s choice. From his perspective, being at home when I can be, when (he) has the ability to be at home, it’s still most important.”

Hunter Renfroe activated from the injury list

Hunter Renfroe not only showed the Brewers he was ready to return from a left calf injury that caused a near-three week absence, but he talked his way back, as well.

“I basically went up there and was like, ‘I’m playing in Minnesota,’” Renfroe said. “I’m feeling good, there’s no issues. So it was basically, ‘Alright, Couns, where am I playing today?’”

Renfroe said he has been feeling 100 percent for four or five days as he underwent running tests with the Brewers medical staff. The outfielder indicated he reached the maximum speed that he’s capable of when healthy.

“I was like, ‘Dude, I’m good,’” Renfroe said. “ I’m running 20 miles an hour here. You know that’s about as fast as I can run and prove that I have no issues.”

In a corresponding move, the Brewers designated Chi Chi Gonzalez for assignment. The righthanded pitcher appeared in four games and made two starts with Milwaukee, allowing earned runs in 11 1/3 innings. He entered Sunday’s game against the Pirates with two outs in the ninth and the Brewers down a run before walking a batter and allowing a back-breaking three-run home run.

Prior to Yelich being scratched from the lineup, Renfroe was listed as the starting centerfielder, a position where he has made seven career starts.

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The outfield alignment featured Yelich in left, Renfroe in center and Jace Peterson in right while Andrew McCutchen, who started in center twice last series, was designated hitter. Playing Renfroe in center was a concerted effort to get more offense in the lineup, effectively replacing Jonathan Davis, who would have otherwise played center, with Peterson against a righthanded pitcher.

“(Renfroe) has played there a little bit last year,” Counsell said. “He’s done some work there this week. Obviously, we’re making a choice there. Those are the lineup choices we have every day.”

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Christian Yelich scratched from Brewers lineup Tuesday with back issue