Phillies’ Andrew McCutchen out for the year: How does team proceed?
By John Town
The Phillies’ worst fears were realized with Andrew McCutchen now out for the year with a torn ACL. How does the team move from here?
Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported Tuesday evening that Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen will miss the rest of the season with a torn left anterior cruciate ligament. The team placed McCutchen on the 10-day injured list, but he will likely move to the 60-day at some point.
Losing McCutchen puts a severe dent in the club’s already-struggling offense. His .378 on-base percentage and .834 OPS rank second on the team behind Rhys Hoskins. McCutchen leads the National League with 43 walks and ranks fifth with 45 runs scored. His production in the leadoff spot gave him a strong case for the All-Star Game.
With McCutchen out for the rest of the year, how will Philadelphia proceed from here?
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The team called up 2017 first-round pick Adam Haseley to the majors as a corresponding move to placing McCutchen on the injured list with Victor Arano moving to the 60-day injured list. Haseley is starting in center field Tuesday night in San Diego and likely will as the season goes on.
Haseley was just called up to Triple-A less than a week ago, appearing in only six games in Lehigh Valley.
He hit well during this brief stint, collecting eight hits, including three doubles, and four runs batted in.
It should be noted that Haseley struck out in seven of his 27 plate appearances, a strikeout rate over 25%. This was a minimal sample size, so it can only be taken so far, but it will be interesting to see how Haseley fairs against major-league pitching with so little experience in Triple-A.
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One thing Haseley provides that no one else can right now is the ability to play an average center field. McCutchen had to play center field with Odubel Herrera on administrative leave and did not grade out well defensively in center. Haseley won’t be a Gold Glover, but he should provide adequate defense to remain there long-term.
Beyond Haseley, expect the newly-acquired Jay Bruce to get more time in left field. He will start in left field Tuesday night, and the team’s depth chart lists him as the starting left fielder. Bruce, Harper, and Haseley are now the only natural outfielders on the roster, so they will likely be the starting trio moving forward.
Manager Gabe Kapler told Todd Zolecki of MLB.com that while Haseley and Bruce will get the most time in the outfield, Kingery will still start in center field at times. However, Kingery will play third base as well, especially with Maikel Franco’s incompetence at the plate this year.
Cesar Hernandez appears to be McCutchen’s successor in the leadoff spot. He was the team’s leadoff hitter for most of the last three years and got hot in May after a mediocre April.
Next. Andrew McCutchen injury stretches depth. dark
McCutchen’s injury makes an already precarious situation in the outfield even worse. Philadelphia will have to piece things together and hope Haseley can cut it as a major-league outfielder. Otherwise, another trade may occur.