The Philadelphia Phillies have a record of 4-6 over the last 10 games and are still trying to find consistency in nearly every facet of the game. And after splitting a four-game series with a much improved San Francisco Giants ball club, there's obviously plenty of room for improvement. But with the Miami Marlins in town for a three-game series this weekend, the Phillies have a good chance to climb the NL East standings with solid play against a beatable team.
That being said, Phillies manager Rob Thomson was candid about his team's early season struggles. And with Brandon Marsh's 0-for-31 slump and recent knee injury a cause for concern, there's been plenty of speculation hovering around who could be playing center field for the Phillies in the next couple of weeks.
With Aaron Nola off to a rough start to the season with an 0-4 record and 6.65 ERA, the return date of rehabbing southpaw Ranger Suárez to the Phillies' rotation can't seem to come soon enough. Following another newsworthy week at all levels of the organization, let's take a look at some Phillies news that might have fallen under the radar.
Phillies News: Brandon Marsh dealing with knee injury but unlikely for IL stint
With Marsh's slump an ongoing concern, it came as little surprise that Thomson planned to sit Marsh for three consecutive days at the beginning of the week to give him a mental break. After riding the bench on Monday, the plan proved to be short-lived, as Marsh started Tuesday night against the Giants. He then entered Wednesday's game in the sixth inning as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement.
As if things couldn't get any worse for Marsh right now, he injured his knee while playing a ball on a wicked hop in center field. According to Thomson, after speaking with Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation, Marsh is currently listed as day-to-day and is not likely to require an IL stint.
The injury obviously comes at a challenging time for Marsh. With two minor league options, there's growing speculation that Marsh could be demoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to work on his hitting approach. While Marsh's injury will keep him out of action for a few games, it's possible that being away from the field for a few days could help him clear his head and give him time to work on things behind the scenes.
Phillies News: Ranger Suárez making good progress on his rehab assignment
Things continue to trend in a positive direction for rehabbing left-handed starter Ranger Suárez. Sidelined since spring training with a lower back strain, Suárez made his second rehab start with the Single-A Clearwater Threshers on Wednesday, allowing one run and three hits, while striking out seven and walking three in four innings of work.
While Suárez has looked stellar during his first two rehab starts, Thomson gave a clearer idea of when he could return, according to Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports.
"I think he needs more than one (rehab start)," said Thomson, per Kerr. "In theory, next time out you go to 70 (pitches) or 75, then 90 or 95. So we'll see."
It should also be noted that Suárez threw a bullpen session at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, and according to Thomson, will make his next rehab start with Triple-A Lehigh Valley next Tuesday. With one more start at Lehigh Valley likely to follow, Suárez seems to be on track to make his season debut sometime during the first week of May.
Phillies News: Rob Thomson's frustration with the Phillies' shaky offense
It's little secret that the Phillies' offense has yet to click on all cylinders up and down the lineup. This has been reflected in the Phillies being currently ranked 15th in MLB in runs scored (80), 17th in slugging percentage (.379) and 12th in team batting average (.238). While it's not wrong to point the finger at slumping young hitters like Brandon Marsh and Alec Bohm, the entire offense has collectively failed to deliver with runners in score position so far this season.
While speaking to the media before Thursday's series finale against the Giants, Topper was honest when breaking down his team's biggest need right now, per Kyle Fisher of Philly Sports Network.
“I think probably our offense overall, but they’re working on it," said Thomson, per Fisher. "And I’m not complaining, because I know it’s coming, but I think that we’re a better hitting team than what we’ve shown so far."
Thomson has continued to tinker with his starting lineup over the last week, with Bryson Stott leading off five of the last seven games. While Bohm seems to be battling out of his slump with a four-game hitting streak (4-for-15), Marsh remains hitless in the month of April.
If the Phillies are going to turn things around, the entire lineup will have to be better with runners in scoring position, and maybe Thomson has finally stumbled upon the right lineup to start producing runs.