The Phillies were bit hard by the injury bug this spring and that’s showing early in the season.
They were already expected to miss Bryce Harper’s bat in the lineup as the slugger recovers from offseason surgery and things only got worse when Rhys Hoskins went down with a season-ending knee injury in late March.
Philadelphia was swept in Texas and scored just 11 runs in three games – including seven in the first seven innings on Thursday. The offense has been inept and there may be reason for concern.
Jack Fritz and James Seltzer of the Audacy Original Podcast “High Hopes” talked about their lineup concerns after a lackluster opening weekend for the Phillies.
“I’m not hitting the panic button but I’m definitely a bit concerned,” Fritz said. “It really started with Opening Day when I saw the lineup. We went from ‘Our lineup is the deepest in baseball. We’re going to have a loaded hitter hitting eighth. All we need is Marsh and Stott and Bohm to take minor steps forward and this is a nasty lineup.’ … And then I look at the lineup (Sunday) night.”
“Josh Harrison batting sixth? You didn’t like that?” Seltzer exclaimed. “You don’t think Josh Harrison should be batting sixth in a lineup in Major League Baseball today?”
If the Phillies were fully healthy, they would have guys like Edmundo Sosa, Josh Harrison, and Darick Hall as options off the bench. Instead, they’re being thrust into roles above their heads.
“I look at the lineup and I’m like they’re just missing a big bat. They are missing a big bat,” Fritz said. “And that big bat is Bryce Harper and the thing that would help them get to Bryce Harper coming back, obviously, would be 30 home runs from Rhys Hoskins… It just looked like a team that was a hitter short all weekend long. It was like a big spot’s coming up, the wrong guy’s usually up.”
The good news for the Phillies is that Harper’s recovery appears to be speeding up. Initially expected to be out until the All-Star break, the 2021 NL MVP has yet to be placed on the 60-day injured list in case he could return before the end of May. He is expected to take swings at Citizens Bank Park this week which would be the next step in recovery.
Until then, the Phillies are going to need to find a way to tread water without him.
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