Mickey Moniak hints at return from injury with latest Instagram

When will Mickey Moniak return to the Phillies lineup?

Is Mickey Moniak gearing up to rehab and return?

The popular Philadelphia Phillies outfielder fueled speculation that his recovery – from an unfortunate wrist fracture when he got hit by a pitch in the team’s final spring training game – is on track, or better yet, ahead of schedule.

Moniak has been with the team as he recovers, something Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber encouraged, so he wouldn’t feel isolated as he worked his way back. Over the weekend, manager Joe Girardi confirmed that Moniak has been hitting, and will begin taking live batting practice this week.

Despite having some of the league’s best hitters, the Phillies cannot manage to get their heads above water. They dropped the series opener to the San Diego Padres, getting shut out 3-0 at home on Tuesday. Moniak, who hit .378/.378/.973 with a 1.286 OPS and five home runs over 14 spring training games, could certainly contribute. He also endeared himself to fans during his spring transformation, and they’ve been begging for him to return, especially with Odúbel Herrera’s at-bats looking like this:

Overall, Herrera is doing fine. He’s hitting .259 with a pair of home runs, but he’s a placeholder. The Phillies signed him to a low-cost one-year deal due to a thin centerfield market and unproven in-house options, but Moniak, who was the first-overall pick in 2016, is the team’s future.

Hopefully, this Instagram post signals the near future.

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