Monday’s game at Minnesota was the first of many upcoming games for the Phillies facing right-handed starting pitchers, but Brandon Marsh was not in the lineup.
Manager Rob Thomson told reporters that Marsh is dealing with soreness in his right elbow but is expected to play on Tuesday.
The Phillies started Weston Wilson in left field to face Twins right-hander Bailey Ober. Minnesota hasn’t announced who will start Wednesday, but if it’s a right-hander, it will mark eight straight games for the Phillies to face right-handers before likely facing Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes at home next Wednesday.
If his elbow is healthy, Marsh will likely be an everyday starter. The Phillies currently have Marsh and Wilson in left field and Johan Rojas and Cristian Pache in center field, with Pache facing left-handed batters and Rojas facing right-handed batters. Thompson is also starting Edmundo Sosa at second base for the third straight game in place of an out-of-form Bryson Stott when facing left-handed starting pitchers.
Marsh has performed well against right-handed pitchers this season, batting .290/.373/.500 with 20 extra base hits in 21 innings. Against left-handed pitchers, he is 7-for-49 (.143) with 25 strikeouts.
Since being recalled from Triple-A just before the All-Star break, Wilson has started three games as Marsh’s platoon partner and lived up to expectations each time, going one for three with one hit, one walk and one run against the Athletics, three for five with one home run against Pittsburgh on Friday and one for four with one hit and one sacrifice fly on Sunday.
Still, the right-handed outfield position is one the Phillies could bolster before the July 30 trade deadline.
Dahl re-signs
The Phillies re-signed outfielder David Dahl to a minor league contract with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Dahl was designated for assignment on July 8 and became a free agent two days later. He was unable to find a major league job and opted to return to a team that already knew it might need a left-handed hitting outfielder if an injury occurred.
Dahl homered in his Phillies debut and again the following week in London, but then struggled, going 8 for 52 with 20 strikeouts. He showed he could dominate Triple-A pitchers for the fourth straight season, returning to the IronPigs with a .340 batting average and a 1.076 OPS.
Merrifield signs with Braves, injured
The Braves signed Whit Merrifield to a major league contract on Monday after Ozzie Albies was placed on the disabled list with a fractured wrist and is expected to miss the final week of the regular season.
The Braves have been plagued by injuries all year, including Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, Sean Murphy, Max Fried and Albies, but Merrifield was added to the team on short notice on Monday afternoon. He was hit by a ground ball on the finger of his pitching hand during batting practice and his status remains day-to-day.
