The Milwaukee Brewers head into Wednesday’s series finale against the Chicago Cubs looking for a sweep after taking the first two games by identical 4-3 scores.
Manager Pat Murphy has made several adjustments to the starting nine, the most notable of which is the return of veteran outfielder Christian Yelich to the lineup, via Underdog MLB.
Yelich sat out Tuesday’s start but came off the bench as a pinch hitter, collecting a hit and scoring a run. For the finale he will serve as the designated hitter and bat fifth, the role he has occupied for much of the 2026 season.
Jackson Chourio leads off in left field, followed by Brice Turang at second, William Contreras behind the plate, and Andrew Vaughn at first. Sal Frelick starts in right, Joey Ortiz at third, Garrett Mitchell in center, and Caleb Pratt at shortstop. Left-hander Logan Henderson gets the ball on the mound.
At 34 and in his 14th major-league season, Yelich is no longer the dynamic force who once won an MVP award, yet he continues to contribute for a Brewers club that has been the class of the National League.
In 105 games and 394 at-bats, he has scored 61 runs, collected 95 hits, driven in 50, and homered 10 times while posting a .241 average, .386 slugging percentage, and .706 OPS. Those numbers may look modest by his earlier standards, but they have been valuable for a team that has already reached 90 wins.
Milwaukee sits at 90-56, the first club in the majors to hit that mark, and holds first place in both the NL Central and the overall National League standings with 16 games remaining.
After Wednesday’s contest, the Brewers have Thursday off before opening a weekend series at home against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday.
The lineup tweak reflects Murphy’s effort to keep veteran bats involved while managing workload late in a long season. Yelich’s ability to produce in limited action Tuesday apparently convinced the manager he was ready to start again.
Whether the change helps Milwaukee close out the series against its division rival remains to be seen, but the Brewers enter the game with momentum and the best record in baseball.
A sweep would further solidify their grip on the division and give them extra breathing room as they prepare for the final stretch of the regular season.
For Yelich, another start as designated hitter offers a chance to add to his counting stats and stay sharp heading into October.
