Phillies: Andrew McCutchen more suited for bench or DH role?

With a slow 1-for-14 start to the season, the Phillies should evaluate a couple of options for left fielder Andrew McCutchen

Even though the Philadelphia Phillies have only played in four games so far this season, Andrew McCutchen’s 1-for-14 start has to be considered a concern in this shortened season.

McCutchen’s first hit of the year came in the third inning on Monday against the New York Yankees, where he reached base at about the same time as the ball, which was thrown off-target nearly enough to be considered an error.

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After sitting out the third game against the Miami Marlins, McCutchen returned to the lead-off spot and left field for Monday’s game. His .071 batting average is tied with Scott Kingery for the worst on the team so far (not counting Neil Walker’s one at-bat), while he has yet to walk and was struck out four times in those 14 at-bats.

While Rhys Hoskins (2-for-12 start), Bryce Harper (3-for-13), and J.T. Realmuto (4-for-17) also have low batting averages, Hoskins has seven walks, Harper has four walks and both Harper and Realmuto have a home run and three RBI.

McCutchen has 233 home runs, 819 RBI, and a .285/.377/.479 slash line in his career that now spans 12 seasons. The five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP is a proven veteran, who also brings personality to the team with his “Uncle Larry” alter-ego on social media.

McCutchen is valuable to the team and does deserve to be a starter, but with a rough start in a shortened season, what should the Phillies do about him?

One option would be to have Andrew McCutchen start the game on the bench

The argument here is that Jay Bruce, Phil Gosselin, and Adam Haseley have impressed out of the gate.

Bruce followed a 0-for-4 opening game with an improved performance in the third game of the season, where he moved from DH to take McCutchen’s place in left field. He went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, a walk, and an RBI.

Following the week-long hiatus for the Phillies, Bruce homered off of Gerrit Cole in a 1-for-2 and two walk night as DH, giving him a .300/.462/.900 slash line through three games.

Gosselin continued his momentum from a productive summer camp when he started the second game of the season as DH, going 3-for-3 with two home runs, three RBI, and a walk. He entered the following day’s game in the fourth inning, replacing Neil Walker as DH and going 1-for-3 with a walk.

He most recently entered Monday’s game in the ninth inning as a pinch hitter, striking out in his lone at-bat. His slash line through three games is .571/.667/1.429.

And Haseley got off to a hot start in the third game of the season, going 4-for-6 with two doubles and an RBI. He went 1-for-3 with an RBI in Monday’s game, recording a .556/.556/.778 slash line through two games of batting, having entered a previous game defensively in the ninth inning.

While the sample size is limited, there is more value than ever in sticking with the hot hands, when every run and every game matters that much more for the team’s playoff hopes.

A combination of Haseley and Bruce or Haseley and Roman Quinn can be used in the outfield, alongside Harper, while Gosselin can serve as DH in the games where Bruce plays defensively.

This can keep Bruce, Gosselin, and Haseley in more games while they’re hitting well, and McCutchen can enter later in the game as a pinch hitter until he shows that his swing is back.