Injuries to Veterans Clay Buchholz and Howie Kendrick
When the Phillies acquired pitcher Clay Buchholz and outfielder/infielder Howie Kendrick this offseason, the theory was to add stability and leadership to an otherwise young team. Neither player was expected to carry the team, but what has happened was totally unexpected.
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Buchholz, an 80-game winner with a career 4.01 ERA, started only two games before going down with a forearm injury, which will likely keep him out most, if not all, of the season.
Kendrick, who can play left field, second base and first base, is not the player he was in the past. Still, he is a good number two hole hitter who can get one base, as his .289 batting average and .332 career on-base percentage indicates.
With Kendrick out, the Phillies had to move players around in more unfamiliar roles, and frankly none of them have done as well batting second as Kendrick did. Back in the lineup, Kendrick is hitting .319 with a .373 on base percentage in 13 games.
Next: Why the prospects aren't here
Can the Phillies bounce back? It’s difficult to envision this team regressing from 71 wins to 54. Having said that, they need to turn things around quickly in order to eclipse last year’s total. Anything less would be considered a failed season for a team expected to improve.