The Philadelphia Phillies are scuffling more than ever, now sitting at 69-49. A team that looked like a surefire juggernaut has fallen from grace and has been playing mediocre at best for over two months.
Another dropped series against the Diamondbacks has left some serious questions for this lineup. Will they sustain such average play through the rest of the season? Injuries have certainly left doubt night after night about who is picking up the slack.
Breaking down Phillies' outfield playing time with Austin Hays on IL
The Phillies are in a familiar predicament yet again with outfielder Austin Hays on the IL with a hamstring strain. Let's take a look at the possibilities the Phillies have with their deadline acquisition on the shelf.
Nick Castellanos has been good, not great since he joined Philadelphia in free agency in 2022. He's been the same in 2024. Hitting .245 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI. One thing that Castellanos has going for him is that he's always out there in right field. Consistency has been a nice thing to have at least at one position. He even set the NL record for games without recording an error (414 games). Who would've guessed?
Brandon Marsh had a solid start to the season but has been struggling mightily over the past month. Marsh is hitting .238 with 11 home runs and 44 RBI on the year. He has been a plus defender in left and center field. He is currently second among NL outfielders in defensive runs saved with 11 and will see plenty of opportunity in left field.
Johan Rojas may, in fact, be getting the biggest increase in workload thanks to the Hays injury. According to MLB.com, Phillies manager Rob Thomson indicated that "Rojas will get the bulk of the time in center field during Hays’ absence."
Marsh will slide back over to left field to leave Rojas to track down fly balls in center. Rojas isn't the biggest contributor at the plate as he is hitting .237 with only three home runs and 24 RBI, but he can track down just about anything hit in his general direction. His speed and ability to bunt at times give some relief in finding a replacement for Hays.
A combination of Weston Wilson and recent call-up Cal Stevenson will help fill in the cracks for off days and when the team chooses to have someone else face a lefty on the mound.
The different scenarios laid out for the Phillies are far from perfect. The excuses end there. They have to find a way to bounce back, make do with their talent, and utilize them as best they can to start playing winning baseball again.