11:21am: Dombrowski told reporters that Marsh’s injury occurred during training a few days ago (X-link via Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer). The debridement procedure performed was linked to “floating cartilage” in Marsh’s knee.
10:21am: The Phillies announced the acquisition of the outfielder on Friday. Brandon Marsh This morning I had arthroscopic surgery on my left knee. He is expected to return to game action within three to four weeks, according to the team, and the Phillies still expect him to be ready for Opening Day.
Marsh, 26, was acquired from the Angels as a trade catcher before the 2022 deadline. Logan Ohoppe To Haros. This was a somewhat unusual one-for-one exchange of two highly regarded young players who had a stronger positional fit with another club than the club that drafted him. Marsh has really flourished in Philadelphia, hitting .280/.360/.457 in 610 at-bats since the exchange, earning him a regular spot in the outfield.
Marsh has played much of his time in center field for the Phillies, but will likely slide to left field in 2024 given his defensive prominence. Johan Rojas, President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski said earlier this week that it was “likely” he would be the starting center fielder for Opening Day. Marsh was a competent defender at center, but he had positive performance at corner last year. But more than that, Rojas had an out-of-this-world defensive record, giving up 15 earned runs and six above-average outs in just 392 innings as a center fielder.
It’s already been known that the Phillies are exploring the market for a new bench bat, and it’s no wonder this injury report regarding Marsh might make finding a right-handed outfielder a little more difficult. There isn’t. Marsh is a career .223/.278/.312 hitter against southpaws anyway, and while there’s no indication this will be a long-term problem, a relatively minor surgery could also cause lingering problems. Not uncommon.
right now, Christian Pache He is the Phillies’ fourth outfielder, but is a utility infielder. Edmundo Sosa He also played in the outfield for a while. He’s both right-handed, but he’s also a defensive-minded player.If Marsh experiences any setbacks, the Phillies could switch to a platoon arrangement with Pache and his reserve buddies. Jake Cave He could play left field or the club could consider non-roster depth options such as cal stevenson. It wouldn’t be surprising if at least another non-roster invitee is brought into camp to join that mix. Dombrowski acknowledged earlier this week that the club “could” sign another bat on the major league bench. Other he more notable additions than the NRI should not be completely ruled out.
