MLB Weekly Digest September 16th Edition: Brewers Lose Yelich

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The previous week in MLB was about a team in the National League losing a key player for the remainder of the season, a player in the American League undergoes season-ending surgery, and an outfielder is sidelined for the rest of the season.

Milwaukee Brewers Outfielder Christian Yelich Diagnosed with Fractured Patella

The Milwaukee Brewers were dealt a crushing blow last week when outfielder Christian Yelich fouled a ball off his knee.

Brewers general manager David Stearns confirmed a couple of days ago Yelich has been diagnosed with a right patella fracture, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Great news for the #Brewers in that Christian Yelich will not need surgery for his fractured right patella: pic.twitter.com/SMzzSctJp3

— Todd Rosiak (@Todd_Rosiak) September 12, 2019

Yelich is expected to be sidelined eight-to-ten weeks. The silver lining is Yelich won’t need surgery, and the injury won’t impact him moving forward.

The loss of Yelich is monumental for the Brewers as he’s one of the best players on their team and the club is still fighting for a spot in the postseason.

Yelich had a spectacular season for the Brewers as indicated by his .329 batting average and 1.100 OPS in 130 MLB games with 100 runs scored, 161 hits, 29 doubles, 30 stolen bases, 44 home runs, and 97 RBIs.

The stellar outfielder has made a compelling case to win the National League MVP Award for the second consecutive season as he won it last year.

Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani Undergoes Season-Ending Knee Surgery

Los Angeles Angels two-way player Shohei Ohtani underwent left knee surgery a couple of days ago.

The recovery timeline for this type of operation is eight-to-12 weeks, per Angels general manager Billy Eppler.

pic.twitter.com/zL1F2ihbC1

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) September 12, 2019

Ohtani missed the start of the 2019 season as he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but was the team’s regular designated hitter in early May.

He compiled a .286 average and .848 OPS in 106 games with 20 doubles, five triples, 12 stolen bases, 18 home runs, and 62 RBIs.

Ohtani is expected to be a two-way player next season as both a hitter and a pitcher.

He is a talented player, and it will be interesting to see how he matures in both roles for the Angels in 2020.

New York Yankees Outfielder Mike Tauchman Out Several Weeks with Calf Injury

The New York Yankees have had a revolving door of injuries during the 2019 season, and another player is injured.

Outfielder Mike Tauchman will be out six-to-eight weeks after he was diagnosed with a Grade 2 calf strain, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

Mike Tauchman has a Grade 2 calf strain. He will miss six to eight weeks.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) September 9, 2019

A Grade 2 strain is moderately severe and indicates there is partial tearing, per Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News.

Grade 2 strain means partial tearing.

— Kristie Ackert (@ByKristieAckert) September 9, 2019

The Yankees acquired Tauchman late in spring training from the Colorado Rockies.

The loss of Tauchman for the Yankees is significant as he’s played well for the team this season.

He compiled a .277 average and .865 OPS in 87 games with 18 doubles, 13 home runs, and 47 RBI.

The value for Tauchman isn’t only with the bat but his versatility as he’s played all three outfield positions.

The Yankees have dealt with several key players missing significant time in 2019, and they’ve shown the ability to adjust.

About Post Author

Chris Lacey

Chris is a New Jersey native whose favorite sports team is the Arizona Diamondbacks. He previously attended Western New England College to study Sports Management. Chris has been following the Diamondbacks since he was 12. You can find him on Twitter at @aecanada12.

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