Milwaukee Brewers

Veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is being closely monitored by opposing teams, including the Milwaukee Brewers.

The 37-year-old has spent six seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, but if the team does not show interest in re-signing him, the Brewers believe there's still plenty of room for the 2022 MVP according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

Goldschmidt is in his 14th season in the MLB after being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011 out of Texas State.

In his final season with the Diamondbacks in 2018, Goldschmidt recorded 172 hits, including 33 home runs and 83 RBI. As a Cardinal, he continued to excel, hitting 34 home runs and driving in 97 RBI in his first season with St. Louis in 2019.

With five Silver Sluggers, two Hank Aaron Awards, and four Gold Gloves to his name, the veteran is a valuable asset for any team that acquires him.

Now in the last year of a four-year, $130 million contract with the Cardinals, Goldschmidt has remained consistent, appearing in 153 games this season and recording 146 hits with 64 RBI.

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker is in the midst of another statistically strong season, one of the best of his 10-year MLB career and one that will get him plenty of looks this offseason from teams looking to upgrade at the three spot as he enters free agency.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that the Milwaukee Brewers are one such team.

He wrote, "While Pete Alonso of the Mets will be the highest-paid first baseman on the free agent market, club executives insist that Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker will draw much more interest at perhaps half the price. The Milwaukee Brewers are one of several teams that have interest if first baseman Rhys Hoskins opts out of his contract."

Walker would be an upgrade for the World Series-hungry Brewers. He is statistically better in every major, measurable category than Hoskins in 2024, except stolen bases, in which he has one less (2) than his counterpart (3).

The former South Carolina Gamecock has 22 more hits, one more home run, five more RBI, and a batting average nearly 40 points better than Hoskins. His on-base percentage is .337 to Hoskins' .299 and his OPS of .810 is significantly higher than the current Brewers first baseman's .714.

CHRISTIAN WALKER HOME RUN BABY pic.twitter.com/8SNtVp8C1P

— Jared Block (@jaredrblock) September 18, 2024

His WAR (wins above replacement) is not overly impressive at 2.4 but is greater than the current starter's -0.3.

His bat has been more consistent over his decade of play in the bigs and the last two seasons, the righty has amassed 266 hits. His 26 home runs are the fewest in three years, but he also played 32 fewer games this season than last.

Walker is a reliable hitter who has been a quality cleanup hitter in Arizona and could benefit the Brewers at that position in the lineup. Milwaukee has gotten 28 home runs total, just two more than the Diamondbacks star, and 151 hits, one more than Walker managed a season ago.

Of course, Hoskins would have to opt out of his current deal with the Brewers. Considering that he has underperformed this season, he is unlikely to find the money on the free agency market that he will receive from the team in 2025, making it more likely that he will return to the club.

Still, Walker has been the picture of consistency throughout his career and is a potential difference-maker for any team that acquires him. If he becomes available to Milwaukee, the team must consider acquiring him as it pursues its first World Series title.

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All stats via MLB.com

The Milwaukee Brewers are playoff bound for the sixth time in the past seven seasons after clinching the NL Central with the Chicago Cubs' loss to the Oakland Athletics.

With today's Cubs loss, the @Brewers have #CLINCHED the NL Central crown 👑 pic.twitter.com/T4XbtPqYoE

— MLB (@MLB) September 18, 2024

While the Brewers are celebrating another run in October, they still have a lot to play for over the final two weeks of the regular season. They are within four games of the Philadelphia Phillies for the best record in the NL and home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Here are the updated matchups and standings in both leagues based on the current standings.

Projected National League Playoff Matchups

• First-round bye: No. 1 Philadelphia Phillies, No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers
• Wild Card Series: No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 6 New York Mets, No. 4 San Diego Padres vs. No. 5 Arizona Diamondbacks
  

Projected American League Playoff Matchups

• First-round bye: No. 1 New York Yankees, No. 2 Cleveland Guardians
• Wild Card Series: No. 3 Houston Astros vs. No. 6 Minnesota Twins, No. 4 Baltimore Orioles vs. No. 5 Kansas City Royals
  

Current Standings

NL East

1. Philadelphia Phillies (91-60)
2. New York Mets (83-68, 8 GB)
3. Atlanta Braves (81-70, 10 GB)
4. Washington Nationals (68-83, 23 GB)
5. Miami Marlins (56-95, 35 GB)

NL Central

1. Milwaukee Brewers (87-64)** 
2. Chicago Cubs (77-75, 10.5 GB)
3. St. Louis Cardinals (76-75, 11 GB)
4. Cincinnati Reds, (74-78, 13.5 GB)
5. Pittsburgh Pirates (71-80, 16 GB)

NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (89-62)
2. San Diego Padres (86-66, 3.5 GB)
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (83-68, 6 GB)
4. San Francisco Giants (73-78, 16 GB)
5. Colorado Rockies (59-93, 30.5 GB)

NL Wild Card

1. San Diego Padres (86-66, +2.5 Games)
2. Arizona Diamondbacks (83-68)
3. New York Mets (83-68)
4. Atlanta Braves (81-70, 2 GB)
5. Chicago Cubs (77-75, 6.5 GB)
6. St. Louis Cardinals (76-75, 7 GB)

AL East

1. New York Yankees (88-63)
2. Baltimore Orioles (84-67, 4 GB)
3. Boston Red Sox (75-76, 13 GB)
4. Tampa Bay Rays (74-77, 14 GB)
5. Toronto Blue Jays (72-79, 16 GB)

AL Central

1. Cleveland Guardians (87-65)
2. Kansas City Royals (82-70, 5 GB)
3. Minnesota Twins (80-71, 6.5 GB)
4. Detroit Tigers (79-73, 8 GB)
5. Chicago White Sox (36-116, 51 GB)

AL West

1. Houston Astros (82-69)
2. Seattle Mariners (77-74, 5 GB)
3. Texas Rangers (72-79, 10 GB)
4. Oakland Athletics (67-86, 16 GB)
5. Los Angeles Angels (61-90, 21 GB)

AL Wild Card

1. Baltimore Orioles (84-67, +4 Games)
2. Kansas City Royals (82-70, +1.5 Games)
3. Minnesota Twins (80-71)
4. Detroit Tigers (79-73, 1.5 GB)
5. Seattle Mariners (77-74, 3 GB)
6. Boston Red Sox (75-76, 5 GB)
7. Tampa Bay Rays (74-77, 6 GB)

**Denotes clinched division

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Despite winning the NL Central last season, expectations were muted for the Brewers coming into 2024. They lost manager Craig Counsell when he decided to take the same job with the Chicago Cubs.

Former NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in February. They didn't make many aggressive moves in free agency, with the exception of a two-year, $34 million deal for Rhys Hoskins.

Things have wound up working out for the Brewers thanks to terrific seasons from Willy Adames, Jackson Chourio, William Contreras and Freddy Peralta.

Christian Yelich, who hit .315/.406/.504 in 73 games, would have been on that list before a back injury that required season-ending surgery in August stopped what was a terrific rebound year for the former NL MVP.

Chourio and fellow rookie Tobias Myers have been fantastic. The 20-year-old Chourio is the youngest player in MLB history to have a 20-20 season.

It's a 20 HR/20 SB season for the 20-year-old Jackson Chourio! pic.twitter.com/YIvyH5mKvL

— MLB (@MLB) September 13, 2024

Myers, who bounced around the minors with five different teams before landing in Milwaukee, has a 3.07 ERA in 24 appearances.

Devin Williams' return in July after missing four months due to a back injury has given the bullpen another late-inning option with Trevor Megill and Jared Koenig.

Even though the Brewers don't have the same star-studded rosters as top NL contenders like the Phillies and Dodgers, their consistently high level of play all year indicates they will be a dangerous opponent in the postseason.

Milwaukee will be looking for its first playoff series win since reaching the NLCS in 2018. The Brewers are one of five existing franchises that has never won a World Series.

Milwaukee Brewers All-Star outfielder Christian Yelich told reporters that "daily living sucked" before he decided to undergo season-ending back surgery.

"Once I got surgery, once that decision was made, it was to the point where daily living sucked," Yelich told reporters Tuesday, per Steve Megargee of the Associated Press. "I was really uncomfortable. There was a lot of pain."

Yelich was out from April 12 to May 8 with a low back strain. He still excelled upon his return and hit .315 (.909 OPS) with 11 home runs, 42 RBI and 44 runs scored in 73 games.

Unfortunately, Yelich's season ultimately ended on July 23 when he left a 1-0 win against the Chicago Cubs due to back tightness.

Yelich, who was speaking with reporters for the first time since the surgery, gave more information on his situation.

"I don't know how deep I want to get into it, but really it was just like cleaning some stuff out that needed to go and was causing some problems," Yelich said. "I attempted to see if I could put it off until the end of the season and be able to finish, but it was kind of a long shot, and I think I knew that ultimately, (surgery) was my destination at some point.

"I was trying to see if it could be an offseason type of deal, but it just really didn't respond the way that it needed to in order for that to happen."

Despite seeing his season cut short, Yelich ultimately played an integral role in the first half success of the 75-55 Brewers, who entered Wednesday with a 10-game lead in the NL Central.

But obviously, the Brewers miss the three-time All-Star and 2018 National League MVP. Yelich noted that he feels "great right now" and "should have a pretty good recovery" going forward. Hopefully he's able to be healthy enough to return in 2025 for a Brewers team that's dominating the NL Central right now.

Christian Yelich's 2024 season is officially over.

The Milwaukee Brewers outfielder posted a video to X where he announced that he would be undergoing season-ending surgery on his back. This comes after he said that no surgery was planned in July.

An update I was hoping to avoid. Be back stronger. @Brewers pic.twitter.com/HWT0OOiJVo

— Christian Yelich (@ChristianYelich) August 15, 2024

"It just got to the point where it wasn't getting better," Yelich said. "I tried everything I could and I ran out of options. It came time to make a decision, it was the best option that we had. These things happen, you get hurt, you get fixed and then you get back out there."

Yelich went on the injured list July 24 due to back inflammation. This is something he has been dealing with since his time with the Marlins earlier in his career.

He was hitting .315/.406/.504 with 11 home runs, 42 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 2024. This production was reminiscent of his 2018-2019 MVP form and he was a true game changer for the Brewers.

The 32-year-old will now hope surgery can solve the issue and allow him to return to full health in 2025 and beyond. Milwaukee, meanwhile, will hope his absence does not derail the season.

The Brewers are 69-52 and hold a nine-game lead for the NL Central crown. They are currently in possession of the third division leader spot and would be in line to play the worst Wild Card team in the Wild Card round.

The Milwaukee Brewers reportedly made a move to fortify their starting rotation on Monday.

According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Brewers acquired starting pitcher Frankie Montas from the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds will receive outfielder Joey Wiemer and pitcher Jakob Junis in return, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

There had been previous buzz that Montas was drawing interest from the Baltimore Orioles, but now he's staying in the Midwest.

Montas joined the Reds on a one-year deal worth $14 million with a $20 million mutual option for the 2025 season. However, the veteran right-hander has struggled throughout this year with a 4-8 record in 19 starts while posting a 5.01 ERA, a 1.44 WHIP and 78 strikeouts in 93.1 innings pitched.

Montas underwent shoulder surgery in February 2023 that cost him virtually all of last season. He appears to still be working his way back to form, but the Brewers appear to be confident that he will be a worthy acquisition.

Milwaukee leads the NL Central with a 60-45 record. The team has been trying to overcome a string of injuries on its pitching staff, as starters Joe Ross (back) and DL Hall (knee) are both on the 60-day injured list. Reliever Trevor Megil, who was the team's primary closer in the absence of two-time All-Star Devin Williams, was placed on the 15-day IL on Monday with a back injury. Williams made his season debut on Sunday after dealing with a back injury of his own.

The Brewers are hoping that Montas will provide depth as their other pitchers continue to recover ahead of the chase for the playoffs.

Christian Yelich's season may not be over after all.

Speaking with reporters Thursday before his annual charity event to benefit veterans and the Milwaukee community, the Brewers star outfielder said that there is "no surgery planned" on his back injury and that "we'll kind of just see how it goes."

Yelich added:

I've dealt with back stuff for a while and been able to kind of manage it and get through it and find a way to be out there. We're going to come up with a great plan, we've got some steps to try to rehab this thing along way and really get back out there as soon as possible. Who knows when that's going to be, how quick that can be? I'm hoping as quick as possible.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic initially reported Thursday that Yelich is choosing to rest and rehab his back injury instead of undergoing surgery, which would have ended his 2024 campaign.

However, Rosenthal noted "offseason surgery is a strong possibility."

The updates come after the Brewers announced Wednesday they placed Yelich on the 10-day injured list because of "low back inflammation." They activated catcher Gary Sánchez off the injured list in a corresponding move.

Rosenthal reported Wednesday the veteran was "facing the prospect of season-ending surgery to correct a lower back condition that has plagued him for years."

Yelich told reporters, "Everybody plays through stuff, but sometimes, you just can't. That's kind of where we're at at this point. Your body won't cooperate with you. For me, aside from when I broke my knee, this has been the one thing that I've had to deal with. It's frustrating. I've dealt with it a lot during my career."

The 32-year-old has been excellent for Milwaukee this season with a .315/.406/.504 slash line, 11 home runs, 42 RBI and 21 stolen bases. He was named to the third All-Star Game of his career and leads the league in batting average.

It has also been quite the bounce-back effort for the 2018 National League MVP who hadn't made an All-Star Game since the 2019 campaign.

However, he was just 1-for-19 in his previous six games before going on the injured list and was clearly bothered by the back pain. He left Tuesday's victory over the Chicago Cubs in the sixth inning.

In a perfect world for Milwaukee, some rest and rehab will have Yelich ready to return for the stretch run and playoffs. The team is six games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central and appears well on its way to the postseason.

While losing Yelich is quite the blow it will have to overcome, there is enough of a cushion in the division that the playoffs should still be the expectation.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to inflammation in his lower back.

The Brewers announced the roster move on Wednesday. Yelich left Tuesday's win over the Chicago Cubs in the sixth inning after running gingerly to first base on a groundout.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the injury could require back surgery that would end his 2024 season.

Speaking to reporters prior to Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Yelich didn't sound optimistic about this being a short-term issue.

"I don't really want to get into like the specifics of it, but yeah, not great," he said. "Go from there as far as what's going to be the best for the near future and into the future. A couple different discussions I think that need to be had."

This is the second IL stint of the season for Yelich. He previously missed 24 games from April 13 to May 8 due to a strained lower back.

Yelich is in the midst of a terrific season for the first-place Brewers. His .315 batting average and .406 on-base percentage would lead the NL if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. His .504 slugging percentage is his best since 2019.

If there is a silver lining for the Brewers, Yelich's injury happening now gives them time to make some potential additions to their lineup before the trade deadline on July 30.

The Brewers (58-43) enter Wednesday with a five-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. Their offense is tied with the Minnesota Twins for the sixth-most runs scored in MLB, despite being tied for 20th in homers.

Dallas Keuchel's time with the Milwaukee Brewers has come to an end.

The Brewers designated Keuchel for assignment on Sunday, ending his tenure with the franchise after just four starts. He compiled a 5.40 ERA with the team.

Milwaukee was his fourth franchise since the 2022 season, and he has not appeared in more than 15 games during a season since 2021.

Milwaukee is due to get pitchers Robert Gasser and Joe Ross back from the injured list following the All-Star Break. Brewers general manager Matt Arnold confirmed that this contributed to the decision to DFA Keuchel.

"Obviously, Dallas is a great pedigree and what he did, he kept us in a lot of games," Brewers general manager Matt Arnold told reporters on Saturday. "He did a really good job for us. ... I think it comes down to the number of players we have coming back."

The 36-year-old only pitched past the fourth inning once during his time with the Brewers, and notably gave up eight hits and three runs in three innings during his final start on Saturday.

Keuchel's recent struggles are a far cry from his excellent play earlier in his career. He won the 2015 AL Cy Young award and was named to two All-Star teams during his seven-season tenure with the Houston Astros.

The Brewers acquired him after a midseason trade with the Seattle Mariners. He had shown potential in the Mariners system, earning a 3.93 ERA in 13 starts for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. He could opt to accept a demotion within the Brewers organization, but he could also elect free agency and be available to sign with a different franchise.

The Brewers are currently 54-42 and lead the NL Central.

Eleven fans were injured in an escalator malfunction at American Family Field Saturday.

The incident occurred following the Milwaukee Brewers 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The Brewers released a statement following the game.

A statement from the Milwaukee Brewers: pic.twitter.com/JBZA2E5SPm

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) June 30, 2024

"After the conclusion of today's game, an escalator at American Family Field moving fans from the terrace to loge level malfunctioned, resulting in an increased downward speed," the statement reads. "Eleven people were injured in the incident, five of them treated at the ballpark and six others transported to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries."

This incident comes after the Brewers made repairs to the stadium in the offseason. The repairs totaled more than $500 million, with $368.5 million coming from the state of Wisconsin.

The project included freight elevator repairs and overall structure repairs.

American Family Field was constructed in 2001 and is the 12th-newest stadium in MLB.