"Step aside Shohei Ohtani"; "2025 MVP" - Fans react as Christian Yelich 'back to work' after injury derailed 2024 season 

Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich has been working his way back to Major League Baseball. Yelich was a strong contender for the 2024 NL MVP, but his season was cut short due to an injury that required surgery.

The Brewers expect him to return at the start of the 2025 season, and Yelich has been actively working on his comeback. The three-time All-Star recently posted a video on his Instagram account with the caption:

"Back to work."

In the clip, Yelich is seen doing cardio and working out in the gym to prepare for the upcoming season.

Fans were thrilled after the video dropped, flooding the comments section with their support:

“Yeah step aside Shohei, my king is starting the 60/60 club,” a fan said.

“We’re sooooo BACK!” another fan said.

“Looking good, back must be feeling good, let's get it in 2025,” another wrote.

Many fans continued to laud Christian Yelich, even calling him the potential 2025 MVP:

“Yelich working his way into an MVP year,” a comment read.

“2025 mvp,” a fan said.

“MVP szn incoming,” one fan wrote.

Christian Yelich's Instagram post comments (Image Source: @christiantelich/Instagram)

Christian Yelich had a strong start to the 2024 season but began experiencing back issues, which eventually landed him on the injured list on July 24. In August, Yelich and the team announced that he would undergo season-ending surgery.

In 73 games for the Milwaukee Brewers, Yelich posted impressive stats, including a .315 batting average, 11 home runs, 42 RBIs, 40 walks, 21 stolen bases and a .909 OPS.

“Daily living sucked" - Christian Yelich reflects on struggles before surgery

Yelich initially considered postponing the surgery until after the season. However, the 2018 MVP later revealed that his back issues had begun to affect his daily life, leading him to eventually opt for surgery.

"Once I got surgery, once that decision was made, it was to the point where daily living sucked… I was really uncomfortable. There was a lot of pain," Yelich said via AP News.

Yelich, who had been struggling with back issues for several years, underwent a diskectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the damaged portion of a disk in the spine.

How do you think Christian Yelich will fare next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.