Phillies thoughts: Optimal lineup hinges on Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber’s bizarre season, and more

Two catchable fly balls didn’t have to drop for hits Saturday night in Milwaukee for the Phillies to be reminded that their optimal lineup features Kyle Schwarber as the designated hitter and just about anyone else — Brandon Marsh, Jake Cave, Cristian Pache, heck, Pat Burrell — in left field.

”I don’t think that’s any secret,” manager Rob Thomson said.

But for that to happen, Bryce Harper must play first base. And since his back spasmed in the early innings Aug. 10 at Citizens Bank Park, Harper hasn’t played more than two games in a row at first base, both times with an off-day in between. He hasn’t started at first on consecutive days since Aug. 9-10.

» READ MORE: Bryce Harper, $330 million bargain? Sizing up his first five years with the Phillies, and what’s ahead.

It’s mostly a preventive measure, according to Harper and Thomson. Harper has dealt with recurring back pain since the 2020 season, and the Phillies don’t want to do anything that could take his bat out of the lineup. Not ever, and certainly not while he’s in the midst of a 22-for-60, eight-homer tear.

So, if that means more games with Harper off his feet as the DH and Schwarber in left field, well, so be it. For now.

Eventually, maybe within 10 days or two weeks depending on the state of the wild-card race, the Phillies might have to start increasing Harper’s workload. There are more days off in the playoffs, more time for the body to recover. But if Harper is going to play three (or even two) days in a row at first base when the stakes are the highest, he will have to start soon.

”I feel OK out there,” he said. “I just want to continue to get better each day. Just trying to feel the best I can with what I’m going through.”

Asked often about Harper’s first-base availability, Thomson says it’s a “day-to-day” situation, and that’s less a cliché than a reality. He checks in daily with Harper, who takes grounders before most games. But with a 2½-game cushion (3½ including the tiebreaker) over the Cubs for the top wild card entering Monday, the Phillies can afford to not overdo it.

Harper volunteered to learn a new position while recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery because he thought it might bring stability. It did. When Harper’s at first, Alec Bohm is able to stay at his natural third base rather than ping-ponging between both corner infield spots.

» READ MORE: Bryce Harper hits 300th homer. How he got here, and what's next?

But mostly it gets Schwarber out of left field, where he’s the majors’ worst defender at any position, according to defensive runs saved (minus-19), in favor of several above-average outfield options.

Marsh could play left field alongside center-field wizard Johan Rojas. Or Thomson could ride matchup platoons in left and center, with lefty-hitting Cave and Marsh against right-handed starting pitchers and righty-swinging Pache and Rojas covering more ground than a tarp against lefties.

But it all hinges on Harper.

A few other Phillies observations:

Schwarber is on pace to finish with 46 home runs, 105 RBIs, 126 walks, and 208 strikeouts. Aaron Judge, in 2017, became the founding and still only member of the 40/100/100/200 club.

One notable difference: Judge batted .284 with a 1.049 OPS; Schwarber entered Monday at .190/.801.

It may be, then, that no hitter has ever had a more bizarre season than Schwarber, who went into the series in San Diego with more homers (39) than singles (38). But before we certify him as a unicorn, let’s consider Adam Dunn’s 2012 with the White Sox: 41 homers (50 singles), 96 RBIs, 105 walks, 222 strikeouts, .204 average, .800 OPS.

For sheer weirdness, it’s the only season that comes close to Schwarber’s.

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In the first inning Saturday, Trea Turner stole third base and joined Bryson Stott as the fourth pair of teammates this season to swipe 25 bags apiece. (The others: Arizona’s Corbin Carroll and Jake McCarthy, Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez and José Caballero, and Tampa Bay’s Josh Lowe and Wander Franco.)

The Phillies haven’t had two players steal 25 or more bases in a season since Ben Revere and Jimmy Rollins in 2014.

”It’s impressive,” Thomson said.

But, as the manager noted, it also reflects a shift in how the Phillies have built the roster. Early last season, they had Jean Segura at second base, Didi Gregorius at shortstop, and a Matt Vierling/Odúbel Herrera platoon in center field. Only Vierling is currently playing in the majors — with the Tigers.

Stott, Turner, and Marsh/Rojas/Pache now occupy their former positions with the Phillies.

”You think about where we started off last year at the start of the season and how much more athletic we are right now than we were then,” Thomson said. “For the future, too, because we’ve got [catcher] J.T. [Realmuto] under contract for a couple more years, we’ve got all those outfielders, and you’ve got [backup infielder Edmundo] Sosa sitting there. It’s really athletic.”

» READ MORE: Before Shohei Ohtani, Michael Lorenzen wanted to be a two-way player. But he’s found his calling as a starter.

Thomson’s confidence in Jeff Hoffman as a high-leverage reliever continues to grow, in large part because of the righty’s success in escaping jams.

Hoffman has held opponents to a .179/.286/.313 batting line with runners on base, including a .140/.271/.220 mark when they’re in scoring position. He also stranded 19 of 26 inherited runners before Bohm’s three-run error cleared the bases Friday night.

Left-hander Matt Strahm also has been effective with runners on base (.167/.209/.270) and in scoring position (.158/.169/.237).

”I’d try them in later innings. Absolutely,” Thomson said. “But they’re so good in those spots, like sixth, seventh inning when we’re in a little bit of trouble and it’s a dirty inning with base runners out there. They come in and they get out of it. They’ve done a great job.”