RADIO
The Miami Marlins officially put Christian Yelich on the 15-day DL Friday, retroactive to April 20th, due to a lower back strain. Ichiro Suzuki figures to see the bulk of the starts in left field while Yelich is out.
The 23-year-old outfielder Yelich has missed five games including the last three the Marlins have played, and thhere is no exact timetable for his return at the moment. Miami decided the best move to was to put him on the DL, which will free up a roster spot for somebody else in the meantime.
“I really don’t know why it keeps happening,” Yelich told the Miami Herald on Wednesday. “It’s twice now in the last week. It’s really weird, really frustrating.”
Yelich has been off to a slow start in what is his second full season in the majors. He had a .200 BA before landing on the DL. In his first full season last year, Yelich had a .284 BA, .362 OBP, .764 OPS, 21 SB and 30 doubles.
Last season, Yelich dealt with a similar issue that forced him to be placed on the DL.
“It’s one of those things that kind of just keeps coming up,” Yelich told the Herald, adding that he had never experienced back problems until last season. “I really don’t know why. Nobody knows.”
