Andrew McCutchen is out with torn ACL, Adam Haseley is on the way, and the Phillies are a mess | Extra Innings
They have lost five consecutive games, a season high, and their lead in the National League East has dropped to a half-game.
Well, that was your basic, garden-variety Phillies nightmare.
From the first inning, when Andrew McCutchen tore his left ACL, to the sixth, when Manny Machado crushed a grand slam, the Phillies got trounced in the opener of a three-game series in San Diego. They have lost five consecutive games, a season high, and seen their lead in the National League East dwindle to a half-game over the Atlanta Braves.
Into the breach steps top outfield prospect Adam Haseley, who will join the Phillies today. He has been on a fast track since he was drafted in the first round in 2017, and after he got promoted to triple A last week, it seemed all but assured that he would make his big-league debut at some point this season. But McCutchen’s injury, initially classified as a knee sprain pending the results of an MRI today, might accelerate Haseley’s timetable.
“We are fine,” manager Gabe Kapler said, not all that convincingly. “We’ll be fine.”
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— Scott Lauber (extrainnings@philly.com)
Known for durability, Andrew McCutchen facing injury concern
When the Phillies were shopping for a free-agent outfielder last winter, they discussed a few options, including Michael Brantley and A.J. Pollock. But one factor put Andrew McCutchen clearly ahead of all the rest.
Durability.
Although McCutchen hasn’t been an MVP-caliber player since 2015, he remained a healthy one. He played at least 146 games in each of the last nine seasons, including 155 last year between the Giants and Yankees, and went on the injured list only once in his career. Brantley, meanwhile, was limited to 11 games in 2016 and 90 games in 2017 because of various injuries; Pollock averaged only 101 games per season from 2013-18.
McCutchen even was asked about his remarkable run of good health at his introductory news conference at Citizens Bank Park last December.
“I trust myself and what I do to prepare for the season," he said. “I always prepare to play 162-plus games. That’s not going to change, and that’s what I’m doing now to prepare. I always say if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do. I’m going to train the way I’ve always trained, and I think with the longevity I’ve had in my career, I’m going to continue doing that.”
That’s what made the sight of McCutchen being helped off the field with a torn ACL in the first inning last night so jarring.
McCutchen injured his knee on a strange baserunning play that began when Jean Segura slipped in the batter’s box and didn’t run hard on an infield popup. Padres second baseman Ian Kinsler let the ball drop, forcing McCutchen into a rundown. As McCutchen retreated to first base, his knee seemed to buckle and twist awkwardly.
After the game, McCutchen was using crutches and hoping the injury wasn’t too severe.
He isn’t the first veteran Phillies player with a track record for good health to be lost this season.
Right-hander David Robertson, who also signed with the Phillies as a free agent last winter, had been on the injured list only once in his 12-year career before suffering a flexor strain in his right forearm/elbow in April. Robertson had hoped to miss only about two weeks, but he’s nearing the two-month mark, with no return date in sight.
The rundown
From the It’s A Small World Dept.: Phillies first-round draft pick Bryson Stott’s mom, Shana, was Bryce Harper’s sister’s cheerleading coach in Las Vegas. Matt Breen has more on Stott.
Trivia: Who was the only player to reach base during Roy Halladay’s postseason no-hitter in 2010? The answer can be found in Bob Brookover’s notebook.
The trade deadline is still nearly two months away, but it’s never too soon for the Phillies to think about potential pitching upgrades, from Madison Bumgarner to Mike Minor and a pair of Blue Jays starters.
Odubel Herrera will stay on MLB-imposed administrative leave through June 17, which also happens to be the date of his appearance in Atlantic City Municipal Court. The center fielder was arrested on Memorial Day after an alleged domestic assault.
Touted pitching prospect Adonis Medina has made some adjustments after struggling at double-A Reading, as Marc Narducci writes.
Pete Rose, whose new book will be released today, sounds off on analytics, sports betting, his chances of being reinstated by baseball, and more in this entertaining interview with Frank Fitzpatrick.
Important dates
Tonight: Jerad Eickhoff faces impressive Padres rookie Chris Paddack, 10:10 p.m.
Tomorrow: Jake Arrieta starts series finale in San Diego, 3:40 p.m.
Thursday: David Montgomery tribute at Citizens Bank Park, open to the public, 3:05 p.m.
Friday: Zach Eflin set to return to rotation vs. Reds in opener of homestand, 7:05 p.m.
Monday: Diamondbacks come to town for three games, 7:05 p.m.
Stat of the day
Given how jam-packed their lineup is with right-handed hitters, the Phillies must be having success against left-handed pitching, right? Wrong. San Diego’s Eric Lauer became the latest lefty to flummox the Phillies. He allowed one run on two hits in six innings last night, and the Phillies fell to 6-11 against left-handed starters this season.
It’s a surprisingly poor record considering the makeup of the offense. With Herrera on leave, Harper is the only lefty among the everyday players. But righty-swinging Rhys Hoskins and Maikel Franco, in particular, have been better against right-handed starters than lefties.
Entering last night’s game, the Phillies had a .760 on-base plus slugging percentage against lefty starters, which ranked 13th in the majors, and a .766 OPS against lefties overall, which ranked 12th.
From the mailbag
Send questions by email or on Twitter @ScottLauber.
Question: Thank you for all the updates. I always enjoy reading your newsletter. Why does it seem like the Phillies do a much better job drafting players from college (Hoskins, Nola, Haseley, Bohm) than they do from high school? Or perhaps put another way: why did they keep spending (to put it charitably) their most valuable picks taking chances on players from high school when their track record drafting players from college is so much better?
— Scott B., via e-mail
Answer: Hi, Scott. Thanks for the kind words and the terrific question. The best I can offer is this: It’s not quite as difficult to project college players because they’re a few years older and therefore closer to being a finished product. There’s also more analytical data available on college players thanks to TrackMan and other technology that has reached the college level. It makes the drafting process seem like more of a science and less of a crapshoot.
Johnny Almaraz, the Phillies’ amateur scouting director, believes in taking position players in the first round. And with Adam Haseley in 2017, Alec Bohm in 2018 and now Stott, the Phillies believe they have three who can reach the big leagues quickly relative to their peers.