3 Phillies who need to step up after Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber injuries
The short-handed Phillies need these three players to step up to keep them playing well into the All-Star break.
Multiple injuries have plagued the Philadelphia Phillies recently. Catcher J.T. Realmuto had knee surgery on June 12 and will not return until after the All-Star break. Pitchers Taijuan Walker (right index finger inflammation) and Spencer Turnbull (right lat strain) went on the club's injured list also. The former will be unavailable until following the All-Star break while the latter will be out until late August.
Philadelphia suffered two other tough breaks during their June 27 contest against the Miami Marlins. Designated hitter/left fielder Kyle Schwarber left the contest with a left groin strain. First baseman Bryce Harper is dealing with a left hamstring strain. The good news is both could tentatively return on July 9 versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Before then, the Phillies need to get by without two key left-handed hitters in Harper and Schwarber. Entering the club's series finale versus the Marlins on Sunday, Philly only tallied four runs in the first two games combined without them.
Let's look at three players who need to step up after the Harper and Schwarber injuries.
Kody Clemens
Kody Clemens has done well as a utility player in a reserve role for the Phillies. He missed most of June with low back spasms but there was an opening on the roster with the latest injuries to Harper and Schwarber.
The native of Houston, Texas has a .261/.292/.587 line and a .879 OPS in 20 contests heading into Sunday’s game. Manager Rob Thomson will utilize Clemens where needed to keep him in the lineup especially if he does well offensively.
Philly has been reluctant to place outfielders Cristian Pache and David Dahl on waivers since they risk losing them to another ball club. However, a good showing by the 28-year-old utility player will work in his favor at returning to Philly at some point this season if he is sent down next week to play with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Bryson Stott
Bryson Stott has regressed through the first half of the 2024 season in comparison to his solid 2023 at the plate for the Phillies. The second baseman/shortstop is one of the team's regular left-handed hitters who needs to pick up the slack and make sure the team does not become right-handed dominant offensively in Harper and Schwarber's absences.
The Las Vegas, Nevada native had a slash line of .319/.347/.429 in April of last season. Stott didn't get off to a good start this year, with a slash line of .200/.290/.350 in April. He improved to a degree in May, with a .265/.379/.398 line. His line in May 2023 of .255/.303/.378 is somewhat similar to his performance in the month this year.
However, he didn't do as well in June with a .244/.323/.317 slash line before the team's last game of the month. The 26-year-old's performance in the same month last season of .302/.340/.442 was much better. Stott has been erratic as a batter since September of last year, including the postseason.
The Phillies need Stott to progress at the plate without Harper and Schwarber but also during the second half of 2024. He would help the team offensively in the middle of their lineup if he produced more consistently.
Nick Castellanos
Nick Castellanos represents one of the few position players with a big contract who is not on the Phillies' injured list. The offensive unpredictable outfielder will earn $20 million in 2024 and the same amount in each of the next two seasons.
The 32-year-old right fielder is durable having played in all 84 Phillies contests. Yet he is the franchise's most unpredictable hitter. Castellanos looks to have regressed based on his performance at the plate during the first half of 2024.
He hit a paltry line of .183/.241/.260 in April before slashing a line of .229/.287/.419 during May. Castellanos has done better in June with a .250/.303/.460 line before the end of the month. In the absences of Harper, Realmuto, and Schwarber, the Hialeah, Florida native is the Phillies' most experienced player and more is expected of him.
However, Castellanos' performance in June may be his ceiling considering how wildly erratic he has been for the Phillies. Philadelphia needs him to get on a hot streak offensively in the second half, particularly with the team missing three offensive stars.
Will Castellanos' July slash line be better than his total for June? Expectations should be in check with the right-handed hitter. He can look like a club's best hitter for one week and look like its worst the next.
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