Phillies will give Mickey Moniak a shot to be ‘a boost in the arm’ | Extra Innings

It’s been two weeks since opening day, meaning it’s been two weeks since the Phillies started their season by winning four straight games. The Phillies were hot. But since then? They’ve lost five of seven and dropped back to .500 after Wednesday night’s listless 5-1 loss in New York. The Phillies struck out 14 times on Wednesday and have just two extra-base hits in the first three games of the series. Thursday’s series finale could be rained out. And maybe that’s a good thing as the struggling Phillies might want to avoid facing Jacob deGrom.

“When you don’t hit, it seems like the world is going to end,” Joe Girardi said. “Everybody goes through this. It is what it is. You can’t predict when it’s going to happen. You don’t understand why it’s going to happen. … It’s just happening right now, and we have to get out of it. That’s the bottom line. We have to get out of it. We have to fight our way out of it.”

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— Matt Breen (extrainnings@inquirer.com)

Wednesday began like a normal day for Mickey Moniak, who finished his batting practice in Allentown and prepared to board a bus to Scranton to play a group of Yankees minor-leaguers. And then he was summoned into the manager’s office.

“Gary Jones, super nonchalant,” Moniak said of the Phillies’ triple-A manager. “He was like ‘Hey man. You’re going to the big-leagues.’ That was that. It’s good to be back.”

Moniak had his major-league debut last summer, but his return this season feels different. The Phillies brought the 2016 No. 1 pick to Philly last year to be a spare part off the bench. He’ll be given a chance this month to play nearly every day after center-fielder Adam Haseley left the team for personal reasons.

“We felt that Mickey’s at-bats were probably the best,” Girardi said. “We liked what we saw from Mickey in spring training. We thought he was probably the most ready to help us.”

Girardi said Moniak will start against right-handers, which should put him in Thursday’s lineup against deGrom. The Phillies are going to give Moniak a chance this season to be more than a spare part.

“It’s different than last year,” said Moniak, who turns 23 in May. “I think I have a better idea of what’s to come. It’s early in the year, the team has been doing well, and I’m just excited to go out there and help the team win. My whole mind-set is to just go out there and play hard every single pitch.”

Moniak had a strong spring training, but the Phillies never seemed eager about putting him on the opening-day roster. They wanted him to play every day in Allentown and continue his development while Haseley and Roman Quinn handled center in the majors.

Haseley and Quinn have hit a combined 5 for 41 and a change felt near even before Haseley was placed on the restricted list. Girardi said Monday night that the center-fielders in Allentown were not ready for the majors. A day later, Moniak was in his dugout. Moniak’s development will have to take place in the majors.

Odubel Herrera was another option, especially since Haseley’s leave creates a vacancy on the 40-man roster. But Moniak will get the first crack.

“He’s going to get a shot, and we’re hoping he’s a boost in the arm,” Girardi said. “I’m planning on playing him. I think he’s got a bright future.”

Adam Haseley takes a leave of absence from the Phillies, which the team said is for an “undetermined amount of time.” He was 4-for-21 with one extra-base hit in nine games (seven starts) in center field.

The Phillies struck out 14 times Wednesday night as they fell to the Mets, 5-1. They have 16 runs in the last six games in Atlanta and New York.

The Phillies expect Archie Bradley’s injury to sideline him for three to four weeks. The reliever’s injury will likely create an opportunity for Connor Brogdon to be used in higher-leverage spots.

Today: The Phillies, weather permitting, will face Jacob deGrom in the series finale, 12:10 p.m.

Tomorrow: Phillies open three-game series at home vs. Cardinals, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday: They’ll need a starter for this game if they play Thursday, 4:05 p.m.

Sunday: Phillies wrap up with St. Louis, 1:05 p.m.

Monday: Gabe Kapler returns to Philly with the Giants, 7:05 p.m.

Through 12 games, Phillies center-fielders have combined to hit .083 with a major-league worst .258 OPS. They are one of just three-teams without an RBI by a center-fielder. It can’t get any worse. Right? The worst production by Phillies center-fielders was in 1968, when they combined to hit .234 with a .628 OPS. The Phils used four players that year in center — Tony Gonzalez, Don Lock, John Briggs, and Larry Hisle — and finished 10 games below .500. Gene Mauch, the Phillies all-time winningest manager until Charlie Manuel eclipsed him, was fired in June.

Send questions by email or on Twitter @matt_breen.

Question: Does Connor Brogdon have the ability to eventually take over as closer at some point? — via @DannMaal on Twitter.

Answer: Yes. If the Phillies eventually need to change closers, Brogdon is my favorite to win the job. He’s been dominant since returning last September from the minor leagues, pitching like a different person than the one who was rocked in his first taste of the majors. Most importantly, he seems to have the poise to handle the pressure of the ninth inning. Look at what he did Tuesday in New York: walks the first batter, hits the next, and then retires three straight. No sweat. I’d be surprised if he’s not the closer at some point this year.