With Brandon Marsh likely headed for injured list, Phillies’ outfield options limited

CINCINNATI — Brandon Marsh walked gingerly around the Phillies’ clubhouse Wednesday morning, a compression sleeve concealing his left knee and a question mark hanging over his head.

Marsh escaped serious injury Tuesday night when he landed hard and contorted his knee after trying to make a leaping catch at the wall in right-center field. An MRI exam revealed a bone bruise but also a sprained left ankle.

It’s a one-two punch that likely will land Marsh on the injured list, according to interim manager Rob Thomson, although the Phillies weren’t ready to make any move before a day off Thursday.

“We’ll see what we have [Thursday] and the next day,” Thomson said.

» READ MORE: There’s ‘more to give’ for Brandon Marsh as a hitter, and the Phillies are up to the challenge

If Marsh does have to miss time, there aren’t many outfield options to replace him.

Kyle Schwarber (strained right calf) was absent from the lineup for a sixth consecutive game Wednesday in the matinee series finale against the Cincinnati Reds. Although he likely will return Friday night at Citizens Bank Park against the New York Mets, it figures to be as the designated hitter.

Simón Muzziotti, the top candidate to be called up from triple A, was lost for the season Saturday with a partially torn patellar tendon in his knee.

That leaves two outfield options on the 40-man roster: utilityman Yairo Muñoz and Jhailyn Ortiz, who is batting .247 with 14 homers and a .758 on-base plus slugging at double-A Reading.

Would the Phillies consider calling up touted center fielder Johan Rojas? The 22-year-old is the best defensive outfielder in the farm system but a work in progress at the plate. He’s batting .241 with two homers, nine walks, 23 strikeouts, 16 steals, and a .657 OPS in 133 at-bats since moving up to Reading last month.

“He can certainly defend, no doubt about it,” said Thomson, who didn’t say if the Phillies have discussed Rojas as a possibility. “And run the bases and steal a base.”

» READ MORE: Known for elite defense, Johan Rojas’ growth as a hitter could make him Phillies’ future center fielder

The Phillies could also scour the waiver wire for outfield help. They talked about bringing back Travis Jankowski before he returned to the Mets on a minor league deal last week.

If Marsh misses only a few days, the solution may be right in front of the Phillies. Utility infielder Nick Maton entered Tuesday night’s game in left field and made a diving catch on Albert Almora Jr.’s sinking line drive to end the sixth inning. Maton, who played a total of 7⅓ innings in the outfield in the minors and had never done so in the majors, started in left field Wednesday, with Matt Vierling starting in center.

“Maton looked like Ed Delahanty out there,” Thomson said, laughingly referring to the dead-ball era Hall of Fame outfielder. “We’ve been getting [Maton] and [infielder Edmundo] Sosa fly balls in the corners, just trying to get them comfortable.”

Two months after getting fired by the Phillies, Joe Girardi will join Marquee Sports as a game analyst on Chicago Cubs telecasts, the network announced.

Girardi will work alongside play-by-play announcer Jon Sciambi and former big league pitcher Jim Deshaies this weekend at Wrigley Field. He also will travel to Miami for a Cubs series next month.

“Growing up a Cubs fan and then having the chance to play for the team for a number of years, I’m honored to now have the opportunity to broadcast from the historic television broadcast booth,” Girardi said in a statement.

» READ MORE: Memo to Keith Hernandez: Here’s how the Phillies improved their infield defense

Injured reliever Corey Knebel will get a second opinion on a strained latissimus muscle in his back. The Phillies don’t have a timeline for Knebel’s return. He missed three months last season with a similar injury. ... After being designated for assignment by the Phillies, left-hander Andrew Vasquez was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants. ... The Phillies notched their 10,000th victory Tuesday night, 15 years after their 10,000th loss. Where were you in 2007? “I was a freshman in high school,” Rhys Hoskins said. ... The Phillies are off Thursday. Aaron Nola (8-9, 3.07 ERA) will start at home Friday night against Mets right-hander Chris Bassitt (10-7, 3.27).