Phillies Place Brandon Marsh on Injured List Amid Struggles
The Philadelphia Phillies continued their strong early-season momentum with an 11-10 win over the Miami Marlins on Saturday, extending their win streak to three games. Now holding a 13-8 record, they remain just a game behind the New York Mets in the NL East standings. However, the team has had to navigate a few challenges, one of which has been the underperformance of center fielder Brandon Marsh.
On Sunday, the Phillies announced that Marsh has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain, a move backdated to April 17. In a corresponding roster change, outfielder Cal Stevenson has been called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Marsh initially sustained the injury during an awkward fall while fielding a ball in the outfield against the San Francisco Giants on April 16. While it was originally believed to be a minor issue, the injury appears to have affected his hamstring as well, prompting the IL move.
Before the injury, Marsh was struggling at the plate, recording just a .095 batting average with one home run and five RBIs. After collecting four hits during Opening Weekend, he entered a deep slump, going hitless in his next 31 at-bats.
In his absence, Johan Rojas has stepped up, going 5-for-9 in the first two games of the Marlins series. So far this season, Rojas is hitting .345 with four RBIs, five runs, and three stolen bases in 33 plate appearances.
Cal Stevenson, 28, has appeared in 16 games for the IronPigs this year, hitting .192 with five RBIs and seven stolen bases. Last season, he played 18 games for the Phillies, hitting .250 over 27 plate appearances. It remains to be seen how the team will utilize Stevenson during Marsh’s time on the IL, but Rojas got the start in Sunday’s matchup against Miami.
