Phillies’ Adam Haseley gets opening-day nod in center field, exits with hamstring tightness

It took all of spring training — and two hits in the final game, to boot — for Adam Haseley to secure his spot on the Phillies’ opening-day roster.

And it took seven innings for his status to be up in the air again.

Haseley started in center field Thursday at Citizens Bank Park but exited early after feeling tightness in his left hamstring. He was replaced in the eighth inning by Roman Quinn, who made a strong throw to cut down the go-ahead run at home plate in the 10th before the Phillies won on Jean Segura’s walk-off single.

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The Phillies didn’t take any chances with Haseley, sidelined for 19 days in the middle of spring training by a left groin strain. Manager Joe Girardi said Haseley will be reevaluated Friday before a decision will be made about whether he needs to go on the injured list.

“How he feels [Friday] will probably be really important and declare, was it just a cramp or was it more than a cramp,” Girardi said. “We’ll know more [Friday].”

Haseley beat out fellow center fielder Odúbel Herrera for the final roster spot. Herrera is among the 28 players at the Phillies’ alternate training site in Lehigh Valley.

The Phillies appear ready to give Haseley a chance to get most of the playing time in center field. After getting only 67 of 267 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers over the last two seasons, he started Thursday against Atlanta Braves lefty Max Fried.

Haseley has had difficult injury luck over the last few seasons. He strained his groin within days of making his major-league debut in 2019, then missed time last year with a sprained left wrist. He was set to compete for the center-field job in spring training before straining his left groin.

For the first time in 550 days, the Phillies played in front of fans — 8,529 of them, according to the announced attendance, despite 49-degree chill and strong winds at first pitch — at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies are allowed to sell 8,800 tickets to the first 19 home games, in accordance with city and state regulations because of the coronavirus.

“So much better. So much better,” pitcher Aaron Nola said. “It’s how it should be, I’m glad, [and] hopefully it’ll be more soon. But it was good to hear humans in the stands, the fans getting loud with two strikes, when we score, on a strikeout.”

Said Girardi: “I tell you what: [8,500] people can make a lot of noise in a ballpark that seats about 44,000. It was great. It was great to see, it was great to hear, and I look forward to Saturday.”

To create a spot on the 40-man roster for utility infielder Ronald Torreyes, the Phillies outrighted lefty reliever Kyle Dohy to the alternate site. ... Segura became the first Phillies player since Von Hayes (1989-91) and the sixth player in franchise history to start three consecutive opening days at three positions. The others: Willie Montanez (1972-74), Dick Allen (1967-69), Tony Taylor (1966-68), and Bernie Friberg (1929-31). Segura was the opening-day shortstop in 2019, third baseman last season, and second baseman this year. ... After a day off Friday, Zack Wheeler will start a 4:05 p.m. game Saturday against Braves right-hander Charlie Morton.