Phillies bench exceptionally thin with Pedro Florimon injured

With utility man Pedro Florimon now on the disabled list with a broken foot, the Phillies have an exceptionally thin bench.

The Phillies decided to roll with an extra pitcher in their bullpen this season as manager Gabe Kapler expected to rely on his bullpen heavily. This left the team with a four-man bench, and after a few injuries, their bench has become exceptionally thin.

Originally, the team had a bench of Andrew Knapp, Scott Kingery, Pedro Florimon, and Nick Williams. Kingery got into the lineup on a consistent basis at various positions. Williams has become an effective pinch-hitter and has seen more time as a starter. Knapp spelled Alfaro as the backup catcher and Florimon got into the lineup a few times as well.

Then, J.P. Crawford suffered a forearm strain at the end of April. Kingery took over as the everyday shortstop, leaving Florimon as the main backup infielder. The team called up Jesmuel Valentin to replace Kingery on the bench.

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The bench suffered another injury this week as Florimon broke his foot when he fouled a ball off onto it Monday night. He started Tuesday’s game at third base but had to be removed after his first at-bat. Florimon will at least miss several weeks and could be out for an extended period of time if he needs surgery.

Florimon’s injury could have been the perfect time for outfielder Roman Quinn to return to the majors.

Of course, Quinn is injured yet again. He is on the shelf until at least mid-July as he tore a ligament in his right middle finger. He was drafted as a shortstop and worked there during spring training, allowing him to fill Florimon’s role.

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Instead, Mitch Walding will be called up to replace Florimon. This leaves the team with no true shortstop as Walding is a third baseman and Valentin is mainly a second baseman. Neither has much experience in the major-leagues; Walding has never played, while Valentin has just one hit in 12 plate appearances.

The issue becomes even more glaring when you realize that Kapler isn’t even using his full bullpen. Drew Hutchison has been with the team since the start of the season, but he has only made 10 appearances. He has pitched just twice in the month of May, once in the last 24 days. Frankly, the team doesn’t need an eight-man bullpen if the eighth man is never used.

Until Crawford comes back, the team’s bench, especially in the infield, is extremely thin. If Kingery can’t play shortstop, they will have to rely on Valentin. Either he will have to play shortstop or Cesar Hernandez will have to move there.

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For the meantime, the team better hope everyone stays healthy. Kapler is handicapped by his eight-man bullpen, but hopefully, Crawford will return soon.