April 22, 2022

Phillies activate Odubel Herrera

By Shamus Clancy
PhillyVoice Staff

After making some rehab appearances for the AAA Leigh Valley Iron Pigs, Odubel Herrera is getting called up to the Phillies, per NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury:

Phillies announce Odubel Herrera active, Simon Muzziotti to AAA
— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyNBCS) April 22, 2022

Correction: Muzziotti to AA https://t.co/2p8KxRPNA1
— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyNBCS) April 22, 2022

Herrera was hurt in spring training with a right oblique injury, which led him to not being on the Phils' Opening Day roster. Given Mickey Moniak's unfortunate injury against the Tampa Bay Rays in the Phillies' spring training finale, no one has been able to grab a hold of the centerfield spot for the Phillies. Considering that and Moniak still missing time, the team will once again rely on Herrera, who first debuted with the Phillies in 2015.

It's impossible at this stage to mention Herrera and his standing with the club without tackling his off-the-field issues. Herrera was suspended during the 2019 season and placed on administrative leave, missing 85 games for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.

When it was announced in March that Herrera was coming back to Philly and signing a new contract, I wrote the following:

Why?

Why, Middleton?

What is the Phillies' ownership doing?

Fans don't want to root for bad people. It's a fairly simple concept. For a team that has been relegated to a bottom-feeder in the larger Philly sports spectrum amidst the longest playoff drought in the National League, they could use as much goodwill as possible. The team hasn't had a winning season since I was a senior in high school. The Phils are now an afterthought after their half-decade Golden Era and only falling deeper into the background of people's minds in age where there's an overload of entertainment options.

The organization's saving grace to Philly fans is that heading to the ballpark is a classic spring and summer tradition. Bring your friends or family, throw on your maroon Phillies cap, grab a cold beer, soak up the sun and transport yourself to a bygone world where baseball is king. The vibes of heading to Citizens Bank Park are immaculate. What happens to those vibes when the guy hitting leadoff is a dude who feels icky to root for?

I stand by that. I'm not sure how the Herrera will play out in the coming days and weeks for the Phillies, but I'm sure it'll be met with controversy.

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