Aaron Altherr is cooling off rapidly
Aaron Altherr has been a bright spot in the Phillies lineup, hitting .311 with eight home runs in place of the injured Howie Kendrick. He’s hitting so well that many have begun to add him to the team’s future championship lineup projections, an idea months ago that would’ve been ludicrous.
After a rough series against Texas coming off the sore wrist, how Altherr performed in Pittsburgh would be a major tell towards if he’s really this kind of hitter.
Like in Texas, the German outfielder struggled to swing the bat, ending the series 1-for-12 with four strikeouts. It may simply be the wrist affecting his swing, him making an adjustment to deal with any pain. Or, it’s that the pixie dust wore off on Altherr, who’s back to his old self.
Because he was so dominant going into the road trip the chances will continue for Altherr, but if the bat stays cold whenever Howie Kendrick is clear to return, Altherr will be back on the bench.