Christian Yelich won’t be in the Brewers lineup for Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.
Milwaukee has opted for a platoon advantage against Dodgers left-hander Tarik Skubal Sunday. Yelich, Brewers’ designated hitter and newly-named team captain, will be out for Game 1, but could come off the bench as a pinch-hit option.
“It’s about our team and what’s best for our team today,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy told reporters about the decision pregame. “It might not be the whole game, but it’s what’s best for our team today. You look at matchups, history, how a guy pitches a guy.”
For Yelich, the Dodgers are a familiar foe.
The Brewers and Dodgers have squared off four times in the last nine postseasons, with LA winning every series. Milwaukee believes the tide will turn in their favor this October.
Yelich, a Southern California native, attended Westlake High School in Thousand Oaks and graduated in 2010. He played varsity baseball all fours years in high school.
Yelich batted .451 with 37 hits, 25 RBIs, and nine home runs his senior year. While he originally committed to play college baseball at UCLA, Yelich was selected in the first-round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Florida Marlins.
Yelich has spent he majority of his MLB career with the Brewers, earning all three of his All-Star selections and the 2018 NL MVP award with Milwaukee.
Now, the Brewers veteran is looking to win his first World Series and the Dodgers are the only thing standing in his way.
