Adam Haseley forced out of opening-day center fielder competition by groin strain

Roman Quinn and Scott Kingery would appear to still have an inside track over other candidates, but Haseley's injury may create more opportunity for Mickey Moniak and even Odúbel Herrera.

Phillies center fielder Adam Haseley will miss four weeks with a left groin strain.Read moreSTEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer

by Scott Lauber

Published March 5, 2021, 5:30 p.m. ET

Cross off Adam Haseley’s name from the list of candidates to be the Phillies’ opening-day center fielder.

Haseley injured his left groin while running the bases in the fourth inning of Thursday’s 15-0 victory over the New York Yankees. Test results Friday revealed what manager Joe Girardi characterized as a “mild” strain, but Haseley is expected to miss four weeks. The season is set to begin on April 1.

“It’s going to be tough for him to be [ready by] opening day,” Girardi said. “He’s really disappointed. He worked really hard this winter and he was playing really well and was moving extremely well, and it’s disheartening for him and frustrating.”

Haseley was competing with Scott Kingery and Roman Quinn and trying to hold off a challenge from Mickey Moniak and non-roster candidate Odúbel Herrera. Haseley appeared stronger after putting on about 15 pounds in the offseason and worked to level a swing to hit the ball in the air more often. In three exhibition games, he was 2-for-7 with two walks and a home run.

Quinn and Kingery would seem to still have an inside track over the other candidates because they are on the 40-man roster. Quinn went 1-for-2 with a double in Friday’s 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in Clearwater, Fla.; Kingery homered on Thursday.

But Haseley’s absence may create more opportunity for Moniak, or even Herrera. Like Haseley, they bat from the left side of the plate, and the Phillies’ lineup skews right-handed except for Bryce Harper and Didi Gregorius. Moniak homered twice Thursday and Herrera is off to a solid start, going 3-for-6 with a home run and playing solid defense in two exhibition games.

“There’s less competitors, but you still have to go perform,” Girardi said. “We’re looking for someone to step up and take control of this.”

In Herrera’s case, there’s also the matter of being accepted by teammates and fans after his May 2019 arrest in a domestic violence incident and subsequent suspension by Major League Baseball. He addressed the team before Thursday’s game and apologized for his actions.

Some teammates will be less supportive of a second chance for Herrera. It’s difficult to see him winning the center-field job if it creates division in the clubhouse.

“Of course I don’t agree with what he did. I don’t condone it,” Harper said Friday. “It’s something that just can’t happen. You can not do that kind of thing in this world or in this life. But I’m not the maker. I’m not a person that can make that decision of forgiving him or not forgiving him. I’m not God. I’m going to let Odúbel do his thing and be him, and that’s about it.”