Milwaukee Brewers star outfielder Christian Yelich does not need surgery on his fractured right kneecap and is not expected to suffer any long-term effects from the injury.
Brewers general manager David Stearns told reporters Thursday that Yelich’s leg will be “immobilized for a while,” saying the expected recovery time frame is eight to 10 weeks.
Stearns also said that Yelich would seek a second opinion either this weekend or next week.
“At this point, it looks like we’ve dodged a little bit of a bullet,” Stearns said. “He will not need surgery.”
Yelich suffered the season-ending injury when he fouled a ball off his the knee Tuesday against the Miami Marlins.
Last season’s National League MVP, Yelich is second in the league in batting average (.329) and is tied for second in home runs (44). He also leads the Brewers in RBIs (97), runs scored (100), stolen bases (30) and OPS (1.100).
The Brewers (77-68) won their first game without Yelich on Wednesday and enter Thursday afternoon’s contest in Miami tied with the rival Chicago Cubs (77-68) for the NL’s second wild card.