Outfielder Austin Hays to make his Phillies debut, a day after being traded from Baltimore

Right after learning that he’d been traded to the Phillies on Friday morning, Austin Hays hopped into his truck and rushed to Citizens Bank Park.

Hays, the right-handed-hitting outfielder the Phillies acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for relief pitcher Seranthony Domínguez and outfielder Cristian Pache, arrived in time to be available on the bench for the 6:40 p.m. game against Cleveland. But manager Rob Thomson opted not to use him as a pinch hitter in the 3-1 loss. Instead, Hays will get a fresh opportunity on Saturday for his Phillies debut, starting in left field and batting ninth.

Brandon Marsh will shift to center field on Saturday and likely will stay there going forward, splitting time with Johan Rojas. Thomson said he views Hays as a left fielder and wants to give the 2023 All-Star an opportunity to prove himself as an everyday player in that position.

» READ MORE: The Phillies liked new outfielder Austin Hays ‘for a few years.’ Where does that leave Brandon Marsh?

Hays came up through the Orioles system and has never played for another club. He said he hadn’t crossed paths with anyone on the Phillies previously, so there were “a lot of handshakes” and introductions when he made it to the ballpark on Friday.

And after spending the first half of the season on the top team in the American League East, he now finds himself on the top team in the National League.

“To go from one first-place team to another one, that’s probably everything you could ask for as a player,” Hays said. “There’s not very many teams you could feel like you’re upgrading, in a way, from where you were when your team was in first place. But that’s how I feel. I feel like I’m coming into a place where we have an even better chance of winning the World Series.”

Right-hander Taijuan Walker threw two innings in a live batting practice session on Saturday morning as he rehabs from a blister on his right index finger. Walker has been on the injured list since June 23, after developing what Thomson called a “hot spot” that was impeding his splitter grip.

“Velocity was up, the splitter was excellent, command was good,” Thomson said. “... The ball was really coming out of his hand. That was the best I’ve seen from him in a while.”

» READ MORE: Phillies’ Ranger Suárez placed on injured list

Walker is scheduled to throw again on Wednesday, but Thomson said that plan might change because of the 12:35 p.m. start against the Yankees that day. It’s possible he will be ready for a rehab assignment afterward.

Thomson doesn’t expect Walker to be ready to return before Ranger Suárez, who landed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday with lower back soreness.

Kolby Allard will get his first start with the Phillies in place of Suárez in Sunday’s series finale against Cleveland right-hander Xzavion Curry (0-2, 4.98 ERA). ... Spencer Turnbull currently is rehabbing his right lat strain in Philadelphia and threw as far as 90 feet on flat ground on Saturday. The next step is for him to throw off a mound on Monday, after which he will return to the Phillies’ training facilities in Clearwater, Fla.