Marsh sprains – Brandon Marsh left Tuesday night’s Phillies win over the Padres with a right middle finger sprain after a diving play at first base. Interim manager Don Mattingly expects it to be day to day, with Marsh aiming to return quickly as Philadelphia weighs outfield
SAN DIEGO — The Phillies were already walking off with a 4-3 win at Petco Park when Brandon Marsh’s night ended a little early.
Marsh departed against the Padres with a right middle finger sprain after diving back to first base on a pickoff play to end the first inning. He was wearing a sliding mitt only on his left hand—typically the hand he leads with while sliding into a base, but not back toward a base.
“It’s kind of going to be day to day,” interim manager Don Mattingly said after the game. “Sounded like they thought he was going to be sore [Wednesday]. We’ll see what happens. He may come in here great.”
Marsh stayed in the game for a bit longer than the injury scare suggested. He collected his second hit of the night in the top of the third before exiting in the middle of the fourth. Adolis García, who had a day off amid a tough stretch offensively, took over for Marsh in right field.
Even with the finger injury, Marsh didn’t talk like someone expecting a long absence. His plan after returning to the lineup sounded built around staying active—and protecting the part of his body he can’t afford to aggravate.
“I’m gonna go double now,” Marsh said. “That’s the plan. … Probably ride with double until the end of the season.”
The timing matters. If Marsh comes in feeling better before Wednesday’s series finale, the Phillies are still likely to keep him out for the day because of the quick turnaround. Thursday’s off-day would then give him an extra recovery window ahead of the weekend’s showdown with the Dodgers.
Marsh also tried to describe what the sprain felt like in the moment.
“I kind of felt it more throwing [than swinging]; not like terrible,” Marsh said. “But the way I was thinking about it is we’ve got the best defensive right fielder in the game, we’re up 4-0, so try to minimize [making it worse] and try to get ready to go for tomorrow or the first game in L.A.”
For Philadelphia, the concern isn’t just about one night. Marsh’s numbers have been too important, too consistent, and too tied to how the Phillies score right now.
With his 2-for-2 night. Marsh raised his season average to .326—second best in the Majors. trailing only Miami’s Otto Lopez (.330). He has turned into a breakout presence after spending much of the past few seasons as a platoon player. This year, he’s been one of the Phillies’ steadiest hitters outside of Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.
The Phillies can ill afford to lose him. Marsh has started 21 of the club’s past 22 games. The other natural outfield options on the roster are García in right and Justin Crawford in center.
Philadelphia has been reshuffling left field, too. The team began the season using infielder-turned-outfielder Otto Kemp as Marsh’s platoon mate in left. After a slow start. Kemp was optioned in favor of Felix Reyes. who similarly struggled before again switching places with Kemp. The Phillies have also reintroduced Edmundo Sosa to left field after abandoning that experiment last season. with Sosa making his fourth start of the season in left on Tuesday night.
Garrett Stubbs remains the other outfield option, though his role has mostly been elsewhere. He has assumed a utility role that included making his first—and so far only—start in left field on May 2.
Put simply: outside of Marsh, the outfield production has been thin.
Collectively, the Phillies’ six outfield-capable players (the ones referenced in the report) are at a combined .205/.271/.305 slash line, a .576 OPS.
If Marsh were to miss time, the everyday picture would likely sharpen into something more specific. García would start in right field and Crawford would presumably start every day in center field. That would leave a mix of Sosa. Kemp. Reyes and Stubbs soaking up left-field reps—unless the Phillies decide to give Schwarber more run in left. where he’s made two starts this season.
Looking only at Sosa, Kemp, Reyes and Stubbs, they’ve combined for a .182/.222/.261 slash line (.483 OPS) over 177 plate appearances this season.
Kemp or Sosa will likely be in left field for Wednesday’s series finale, and maybe even Friday’s series opener against the Dodgers.
But the message from the dugout is that this is not supposed to become a long-term problem.
“We’ll be fine,” Mattingly said. “This is not going to be a long-term thing. It’s going to be a day-to-day thing, so we can navigate short term. If we had to do something long term. It’s different.”
Brandon Marsh Phillies Padres Don Mattingly middle finger sprain Petco Park Adolis García Justin Crawford Otto Kemp Felix Reyes Edmundo Sosa Garrett Stubbs Kyle Schwarber Bryce Harper Dodgers
Middle finger sprain?? Lol baseball is wild.
So he dove and then hurt his finger but they’re just calling it day to day. Famous last words. I hope he’s ok though.
Wait he was sliding with the wrong glove? Like how does that even work, wouldn’t he have it on the hand that matters. Also “go double now” sounds like he’s just guessing his way through injuries.
Mattingly always says day to day and then somehow it’s a month. Phillies probably need him back ASAP but I don’t get why they wouldn’t just sit him tomorrow if it’s his finger and they said sore. Petco always seems cursed too.