Saturday night was full of bad news for the Phillies, that bad news including losing Harrison Bader for the rest of the game to what we now know was groin tightness. When Nick Castellanos was brought out
to pinch hit, it was met with confusion and derision. Once it was revealed that Bader was indeed hurt, then the mood shifted to disappointment.
On Sunday, Rob Thomson gave the best possible update on Bader for the game on Monday.
The calculus of the outfield sans Bader is complicated. Charlotte Varnes laid it all out beautifully after the game was over on Saturday night.
And what they have, sans Bader, is generally a weaker outfield. Marsh plays a better left field. Kepler, who was in center for an inning on Saturday, only played the position twice during the regular season. Advanced defensive metrics deem Castellanos one of the worst outfielders in the sport.
If Bader is able to go on Monday, particularly with Blake Snell on the mound, the shift towards a playable outfield is great. Let’s hope that he is ready to play.
