With Adam Haseley gone, the Phillies will now turn to Mickey Moniak to boost centerfield production
Adam Haseley hit the second pitch of Spring Training to opposite field for a home run. He then went down with an injury that would cause him to miss the majority of Spring Training with a groin injury. Still, he won the starting job for the Phillies centerfield position on Opening Day.
During the offseason, Haseley stated himself that he would question his own intensity level. This self-evaluation echoed the same sentiments as scouts, who deemed Haseley as a “low-motor” player. Haseley has been known as one of the more quiet Phillies inside the clubhouse.
Haseley had this to say in February this year about his performance during the 2020 season:
“I mean, there were a lot of days where maybe I wasn’t running down the line at 100 percent or something like that and that would stick with me. So, I’m trying to give it as much effort as I can. As much intensity as I can.”
Yesterday, in what the Phillies described as “personal reasons”, Haseley left the team and was placed on the restricted list, which means he will not accrue salary or service time while absent. Girardi, gave little details about the situation but was clear that this was not expected and both sides agreed this was the best way to move forward.
Since Opening Day, Haseley had slashed a miserable .190/.190/.238 in 21 plate appearances. The number eight overall draft pick in 2017 struggled to say healthy since joining the Phillies and hasn’t been able to find his groove and progress into the hitter the Phillies hoped he’d be at Virginia.
To make matters worse, Haseley, who was hitless in his last 10 at-bats entering the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Mets, continued to struggle in the field and misjudged a routine fly ball to centerfield. In the same inning, Aaron Nola allowed four runs and the Phillies lost the game 4-0.
The Phillies will now turn to Mickey Moniak. Moniak, the former number one overall pick in the 2016 draft, will start in centerfield today at 12:10pm against Jacob deGrom and the Mets. With the only other centerfield option being Roman Quinn on the Phillies roster, Moniak will certainly get enough playing time, especially when opposing teams have a right handed pitcher on the mound.
Even with Scott Kingery and Odubel Herrera as options, the Phillies chose Moniak. In Spring Training, Mickey Moniak slashed .273/.385/.727 with a 1.112 OPS with six hits, two doubles, a triple, two home runs, and two RBI. Moniak was called up late last year and had 14 at-bats at the Major League level but failed to impress.
The 22 year old will get his shot today against the best pitcher in baseball in Jacob deGrom, with the Phillies desperately needing a spark at the plate.
Today’s Lineup:
Mandatory Credit: The Philadelphia Inquirer
