Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich rediscovers comfort zone at the plate

MILWAUKEE — It was just an exhibition game, but Milwaukee Brewers fans were treated to a sense of normalcy Wednesday night when Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Uecker was behind the microphone as Christian Yelich hit his first home run of summer camp.

And according to Yelich, there was no coincidence.

The superstar outfielder looked like a mere mortal during the Brewers’ series of intrasquad scrimmages, going 2-for-23 with 13 strikeouts. That showing led to more than a few “What’s up with Yelich?” questions for manager Craig Counsell and Yelich’s teammates, though no one seemed to have any concern about the the 2018 National League MVP being ready to go when the season begins Friday night vs. the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Turns out, they were right, as Yelich explained his paltry numbers were little more than an homage to none other than Uecker himself.

“I wasn’t struggling,” Yelich said during a video conference with reporters Thursday. “I was just doing my best Bob Uecker impression. He wasn’t there so we had to make sure he was able to be a part of it somehow. I took it upon myself to try and re-enact some of his (at-bats).”

Jokes aside, Yelich admitted to feeling just a bit rusty after baseball’s lengthy layoff but despite the lack of production, started feeling more like himself over the last few days. The home run, which came at the expense of hard-throwing White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon, certainly helped.

“I made progress every day,” Yelich said. “The results really weren’t there but it felt like the comfort level was starting to come back. Hopefully, we got it all figured out before Opening Day.”

With the exception of right-handed reliever Corey Knebel, who missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, no one on the Brewers’ roster might be more excited to return to action than Yelich.

His 2019 season, and candidacy for a second consecutive MVP honor, was cut short on Sept. 10 when he fouled a pitch off his left knee cap. The fracture didn’t require surgery but did require significant rehab during the offseason. He was completely recovered when spring training opened but admitted baseball’s three-month hiatus allowed him to go through a normal offseason preparation ahead of the restart.

The extra three weeks of training also helped Yelich get re-acclimated to left field, where he’ll see most of his action this season. Yelich was primarily a left fielder during his five seasons with the Marlins but slid over to right field when he was traded to the Brewers, who had Ryan Braun set in left.

When Milwaukee signed free agent outfielder Avisail Garcia during the winter, Yelich was moved back to left with Braun slated to share time at first base. Braun is now likely to be the regular designated hitter with Garcia in right and Yelich in left, where he won a Gold Glove Award in 2014.

“It’s been nice,” Yelich said. “I’m still getting used to the ball coming at you from a different direction, but it definitely feels familiar, and it’s definitely a place I feel more comfortable at.”

Roster set

Despite his poor showing in intrasquad play, Yelich still managed to crack the Brewers’ 30-man Opening Day roster — as did Braun, who went 0-for-4 Wednesday in his only appearance of summer camp.

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The additional four roster spots granted this season helped answer some of the questions general manager David Stearns faced in the spring and allowed him to add non-roster invitees slugger Logan Morrison and reliever Justin Grimm to the mix.

Aside from those two, there were few surprises to the list.

Right-handers Bobby Wahl and Eric Yardley were recalled from Class AAA San Antonio and right-hander J.P. Feyereisen, a River Falls native, was recalled from Class AA Biloxi. Meanwhile, Mike Morin, another right-handed reliever, was the only player to make the Opening Day squad who wasn’t on the 40-man roster.

Left-hander Brett Anderson (blister) and right-hander Ray Black (strained rotator cuff) will begin the season on the 10-day disabled list, while infielder Luis Urias and left-hander Eric Lauer remain in the COVID-19 protocol.

Six players — Feyereisen, Wahl, Yardley, Adrian Houser, Devin Williams and Keston Hiura — are on the Opening Day roster for the first time in their careers.

In addition to the 30 active players, the Brewers will bring a three-player “taxi squad” along for their trips to Chicago and Pittsburgh, providing immediate replacements in the event of illness or injury while minimizing potential COVID-19 exposure through commercial travel.

Getting acclimated

There is nothing friendly about the confines of Wrigley Field’s visitors’ clubhouse, even after a renovation project expanded its size before last season. The cramped quarters made it hard to avoid close contact even before the global pandemic brought the concept of “social distancing” into the spotlight and now, with maintaining a safe distance from each paramount to the season’s success, the Brewers are being tested early.

Thursday’s workout at Wrigley allowed the Brewers a chance to get adjusted.

“I like that we’re getting a day that we can all adjust to it,” Counsell said. “I’m sure when we get to Wrigley, the clubhouse is going to be set up very, very different. It’ll be good for everyone to see it because all have to challenge ourselves to make adjustments.”

The delayed start of the season will help, too. Though temperatures in Chicago are expected to be in the 80s with high humidity over the weekend, the Brewers will be able to spend most of their time on the field as opposed to earlier in the year, when rain, snow and a biting breeze off Lake Michigan can make for an unpleasant experience.

“We’re fortunate that we’re starting the season in July and not in April,” Braun said. “It becomes a lot easier to spend more time outdoors this time of the year.”