When position players report for spring training on February 19, the Philadelphia Phillies will be missing a vital member of their roster. OF The team declared on Friday that Brandon Marsh will not be able to report for spring training on schedule due to a knee operation.
God, the Fightins are already suffering from injuries this early in the season!
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski claims that Marsh’s knee ailment developed recently as a result of “loose cartilage.” The wild-haired Marsh will miss three to four weeks of play following the arthroscopic procedure, but he should be back in time for Opening Day.
The good news is that Johan Rojas and other players will be able to get additional reps throughout spring training because the injury doesn’t seem to be catastrophic.
The bad news is that knee injuries occasionally recur. After he pulled an Aaron Rowand while attempting to make a catch last season, Marsh had to spend time on the disabled list due to a bruised knee. The Phillies don’t have much depth in the outfield anyway, so making the injury worse may be troublesome.
What impact will Marsh’s arthroscopic knee surgery have on the Phillies’ outfield strategies?
In 2024, Brandon Marsh will be a big part of the Phillies, so Friday’s news is not great.
On Friday morning, Marsh had arthroscopic debridement surgery on his left knee. Dr. Steven Cohen carried out the surgery in Philadelphia.
The National Institutes of Health states that arthroscopic debridement can smooth the interior surfaces of the knee and remove any loose material that may be present.
Marsh is anticipated to make a comeback in three to four weeks, according to the Phillies, and be ready for Opening Day against the Braves on March 28.
Nevertheless, Marsh’s injury is expected to keep him out of action until roughly the middle of spring training, and considering how important he is to the Phillies outfield, you can bet they’ll take their time with him. Results from spring training are meaningless; what matters are real reps.
During the 2023 season, a number of Phillies players, including Taijuan Walker, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Ranger Suarez, blamed a sluggish start on time lost in camp.
Marsh is expected to start the season as the left fielder. The Phillies want and will give Johan Rojas every chance to earn the center field position; Nick Castellanos plays right field.
Should Rojas fail to produce throughout spring training, Marsh might take over at center field and stay there until Rojas has proven himself at Triple A. In any case, it’s plausible that Friday’s news increases Rojas’ chances of getting started on Opening Day.
This is how the FBI is getting ready for the big game.
Behind those three, the Phillies have some depth in the outfield, but they might need another good bat to cover in case Rojas is out of the park or Marsh is sidelined.
Right now, they have Cristian Pache as a backup centerfielder, with Kody Clemens, Weston Wilson, and Jake Cave as backups.
Cal Stevenson, a non-roster invitee, can also play center field. Simón Muzziotti is another center fielder that the Phillies designated for assignment on Thursday.
The Phillies haven’t signed an outfielder yet, mostly because they don’t want to give Rojas a starting role because that would unnecessarily block them from signing a player with more upside.
Some of the free agents that the Phillies have been reluctant to give are Whit Merrifield, Tommy Pham, David Peralta, Jurickson Profar, Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall, Robbie Grossman, and Randal Grichuk.
We’ll see if that calculus is altered by the Marsh circumstances. Next week, pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater, and on February 19, the first full-squad session is scheduled.
