Injury Update: Odubel Herrera expected to be out 4-6 weeks with right oblique strain
The Phillies bats came to life today down in Clearwater, as they beat the Blue Jays by a final score of 8-7. Following the game, Joe Girardi gave an update on Odubel Herrera’s injury that resulted in the centerfield position being “wide open” just a few weeks ahead of Opening Day.
Odubel Herrera out, Matt Vierling and Adam Haseley in
Matt Vierling is the current favorite for the starting spot on Opening Day. Girardi has expressed his confidence in Vierling on many occasions, and it’s obvious that he’s the best-equipped player for the job. But the manager is not ruling out either of the two to make the start on Opening Day.
Matt Vierling
Vierling had a fantastic rookie season for the Phillies in 2021. The 24-year old hit .324/.364/.479 in 77 at-bats, tallying 2 HRs, 6 RBIs, and a 126 OPS+. Vierling played every position in the outfield last season, along with 9 games at first base. Although a small sample size, Vierling posted a 1.000 fielding percentage in the outfield, not logging a single error in 17 games out in the grass.
Adam Haseley
Haseley was on the Opening Day roster last year but took a step away from the game of baseball on April 14th. He was reinstated to Triple-A just a month later, where he finished off the 2021 season.
Haseley slashed .266/.324/.396 his rookie year, tallying 5 HRs and 26 RBIs in 67 games. That was back in 2019 and heading into the 2022 season, Haseley has his eyes set on getting back to normal with the Phillies. He’s been a full participant down in Clearwater since Spring Training started, and is now a serious option to be the main centerfielder for the Phillies.
What about Mick?!
Mickey Moniak is not currently in the running for the starting centerfield job. Moniak isn’t currently ready to play centerfield every day for the Phillies, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be ready later in the season.
Moniak struggled immensely in 2021, hitting just .091/.167/.182 in 21 games in the majors. He struck out 16 times in 37 at-bats and logged just three hits. He did have a nice double off the wall today, along with an outfield assist from centerfield.
Up Next
The Phillies are back in action tomorrow, taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:05.
Mandatory Credit: Cheryl Pursell
[…] game 3-3 with this solo shot in the 5th inning. The Phillies today confirmed that Odubel Herrera could miss 4-6 weeks essentially opening an opportunity for Moniak to make the 25-man roster and silence all the […]
[…] in 29 at-bats, with 5 HRs, 9 RBIs, 7 runs scored, 9 hits, and 3 doubles. Thanks to an Odubel Herrera injury and an Adam Haseley trade, Moniak is now a legitimate outfield option for the Phillies heading into […]