These three players must stand up for the Phillies, who are severely shorthanded, to ensure that they play well into the All-Star break.
The Philadelphia Phillies have suffered from several ailments lately. J.T. Realmuto, the catcher, underwent knee surgery on June 12 and won’t be back until after the All-Star break.
Pitchers Spencer Turnbull (right lat strain) and Taijuan Walker (inflammation of the right index finger) were added to the team’s injured list as well. While the latter won’t be accessible until late August, the former won’t be until after the All-Star break.
During their game against the Miami Marlins on June 27, Philadelphia had two more bad breaks. Kyle Schwarber, the designated hitter and left fielder, left the game due to a tightness in his left groin. Bryce Harper, the first baseman, has a hamstring injury in his left leg. The good news is that they both might make a tentative comeback against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 9.
Prior to that, Harper and Schwarber—two important left-handed batters for the Phillies—must be avoided. Before Sunday’s club series finale against the Marlins, Philly had only scored four runs in its previous two games combined.
In light of the injuries to Harper and Schwarber, let’s examine three players who must perform better.
Clemens Kody
For the Phillies, Kody Clemens has performed admirably in a reserve role as a utility player. Due to low back spasms, he missed the majority of June; however, with Harper and Schwarber’s most recent ailments, there was a roster spot available.
Before Sunday’s game, the product of Houston, Texas, had a.261/.292/.587 line and a.879 OPS in 20 games. In order to retain Clemens in the starting lineup, particularly if he performs well offensively, manager Rob Thomson will use him as necessary.
Because they run the risk of losing outfielders David Dahl and Cristian Pache to another ball club, Philly has been hesitant to throw them on waivers. If the 28-year-old utility player is sent down to play with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs next week, a strong performance will help his chances of returning to Philadelphia at some time this season.
The Phillies’ plan for a struggling bench player will not sit well with fans.Whit Merrifield, a veteran who has struggled at the plate all season, needs more playing time, according to Phillies manager Rob Thomson. Although it’s a sensible approach, supporters will not like it
Injury to Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber will test the depth of the Phillies
When Harper and Schwarber are out, the Phillies will rely more on their reserve players.
When it comes to analyzing the Philadelphia Phillies’ disappointing 7-4 loss to the Miami Marlins on Thursday night, where do we start?
The most recent example of how a team’s fortunes may significantly shift over the course of nine innings came last night. The loss of Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber to injuries at the end of the game brought this point home more than ever.
The Phillies said on Friday that both players have been placed on a 10-day injured list, but fortunately have not suffered any major injuries.
Harper’s left hamstring strain isn’t thought to be serious and is a best-case scenario, but Schwarber’s left groin strain may keep him out for at least ten days.
Manager Rob Thomson stated there’s a “good chance” both players return before the All-Star break, according to Paul Casella of MLB.com.
After the game, Harper gave a restrained statement to the media, saying that he had never had an injury of this kind before and that it would be interesting to see how his body would react.
After the game, Schwarber seemed to be trying to ignore the fact that he was placed on the injured list by sounding a little more upbeat. With Harper and him both on the injured list, he was sure that the depth of the Phillies system would help the squad.
According to Schwarber, “I think that’s why we have this depth of fairly excellent players in Triple-A.” “And these guys, we have a pretty excellent bench, so I have complete faith that these guys will continue to do what they do even if some time is lost.”
Injury to Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber will test the depth of the Phillies
The Phillies have had to frequently turn to organizational depth over the past two months due to the absence of catcher J.T. Realmuto due to minor knee surgery. The Phillies bench will need to step up and help the team win games and make a bigger impact now that Harper and Schwarber are out, as the team is missing three All-Star level players.
Since committing to an eight million dollar one-year contract to play a super-utility role for a Phillies team in dire need of right-handed hitting, Whit Merrifield has not fared well in Phillies uniforms. Merrifield signed with the Phillies, but his batting average of.191 with three home runs and nine RBI is definitely not what they were hoping for. Given that he will undoubtedly be getting more playing time, all eyes will be on the former All-Star to pull it together.
Trea Turner took a six-week hiatus to heal from a hamstring strain, and Edmundo Sosa did an outstanding job taking over for him. Out of all the Phillies bench bats this season, Sosa has been the most consistent. It would be interesting to see if Sosa eventually puts his bat in left field to maintain his spot in the order after being exposed to corner outfield drills prior to games.
In the coming weeks, David Dahl and Cristian Pache will also have to demonstrate increased production. When the trade deadline draws near, the Phillies front office is already keeping a careful eye on the two players. If one of them plays well, their roster place could be decided on July 30.
Pache must score runs and play strong enough defense to make his platoon with Brandon Marsh worthwhile for the team. Unless he can rediscover the abilities that once made him a top prospect, Pache seems to be living on borrowed time.
The Phillies are counting on Dahl’s strength to provide some much-needed spark for an attack that would be severely diminished without Harper, Schwarber, and Realmuto. Since making his debut in early June, the former All-Star has given the team some pop, thus Dahl might be the team’s choice to DH while Schwarber is sidelined.
Known identities return from the Lehigh Valley
After Turner was placed on the disabled list in May, Kody Clemens enjoyed a successful stint with the Phillies. Before being put on a 10-day IL himself for back spasms on June 3, Clemens demonstrated a great deal of promise. The next player up on the 26-man roster is Clemens, who was brought up off his rehab assignment with Lehigh Valley.
Johan Rojas, who was recently demoted, is being given another chance after displaying encouraging at-bat results while playing for Lehigh Valley. With a 917 OPS, the center fielder hit.382 in eight games with the IronPigs.
