June 11, 2026
John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images
The pickings are slim for the Phillies if they need to replace Adolis García in the outfield.
The Phillies are in playoff position, scoring runs at the plate, and minimizing them from the mound.
It's June, and the vibes are good in South Philly.
After winning two of three from the Blue Jays up in Canada, there are a few things to be mindful of as they rest and prepare for an NL heavyweight bout with the Brewers this weekend. Here are five thoughts to consider:
After pulling a muscle in his shoulder with a throw in Toronto on Wednesday, the Phillies are likely going to need some help in the outfield. It's not yet known whether he'll need a stint on the IL, or how long he'll be out, but it's not good timing for Adolis García, whose bat has been better over the last few series.
“They kind of know when they’ve done something," Mattingly told reporters. "We’ll probably get some imaging and find out the true severity of it. Hope for the best.”
Who could replace him?
It's a who's who of "who?"
• Stewart Berroa took García's place in the game Thursday but he's hardly an everyday player. In 63 career MLB at-bats he's hit .163. Over nine seasons in the minors, he slashed a respectable but not spectacular .250/.355/.379.
• If you want a little more power, Felix Reyes has already hit a big league homer this season, but he was quickly sent back to the minors after his April call-up. He had just six hits in 38 at-bats.
• Otto Kemp is another candidate for the role, and a guy who was also demoted after lightly hitting in the majors. He does have a more full body of work and can play multiple positions — and it stands to reason that he'll be the beneficiary of the open 26-man roster spot if García is sidelined for long.
• The final outfielder on the 40-man roster is Gabriel Rincones Jr., who is struggling a bit in the minors after a late start to his season, but he's shown flashes in spring training and in the minors and could be an energy boosting call-up with high upside.
• Remember Johan Rojas? He was shut down for the season this week with a UCL tear so he's not a candidate to assume the OF role. The most likely outcome is that Edmundo Sosa will play there every day, with someone like Kemp called up to take a spot on the bench.
There is a stark divide when you look at the Phillies individual stats this season, between the All-Star caliber "haves" and some dreadfully underachieving players who have contributed to keeping the Phils from really breaking through. There aren't too many guys in the middle.
The 'haves'
| Player | WAR |
| Cris Sánchez | 5.0 |
| Zack Wheeler | 2.7 |
| Brandon Marsh | 2.0 |
| Kyle Schwarber | 1.8 |
| Bryce Harper | 1.7 |
| Jesús Luzardo | 1.5 |
| Jhoan Duran | 1.4 |
| Orion Kerkering | 1.1 |
The 'have nots'
| Player | WAR |
| Adolis García | -0.8 |
| Justin Crawford | -0.3 |
| Alec Bohm | -0.3 |
| Edmundo Sosa | -0.2 |
| Tanner Banks | -0.1 |
| José Alvarado | -0.1 |
| Andrew Painter | 0.0 |
For a little contrast and context, the first place Dodgers have no everyday players with a negative WAR and 13 everyday players at 0.9 or higher.
As I was perusing the stat sheets for this column, I noticed that the Phillies offense has an average age of 30.3 — the second oldest lineup in MLB. Even with 22-year-old Justin Crawford playing (nearly) every day in center field, the team is elderly by pro sports standards.
Maybe that explains the slow start? It makes sense that men in their 30s probably take a little longer to round into midseason form than a team like the Cardinals, say, who are the second youngest offense in baseball at 26.5 and are ahead of Philly in the Wild Card standings.
The Phillies have also been extremely healthy despite their old age. There are 14 teams right now, via Spotrac.com, with double-digit players on the IL. The Phillies have one. They've only had eight reported injuries all season, while the Astros lead that category with 23. Injuries are more common among older players, so good health is something to wish for as this over-the-hill roster continues to compete.
Philly's win in Toronto Wednesday, paired with the Braves losing to the White Sox, has them eight games behind Atlanta in the NL East. It's tied for the closest they've been since April 21, and with a Wild Card spot under their control (they're currently in the No. 2 spot, 1.5 games behind the Cardinals), it is worth wondering if the eight-game deficit is surpassable.
No team has a better record in all of baseball than the Phillies do since they made their managerial change (28-12). The Phillies won't be playing the Braves again — through some cruel fluke of the schedule — until September 4, when they'll play them seven times in a 10-game span. The real goal is to chip away at the lead, and be within striking distance come September. If the Phils are four or five games back when their first series against the Braves arrives, they'll control their own NL East destiny. It could happen!
The Phillies have a really tough test this weekend in Milwaukee, facing the Brewers and the second-best record in the NL. But after a stretch of playing contenders, the Phils will get a bit of a scheduled reward, with the NL East ahead on the slate when they return home next week.
First they'll host the Marlins and the Mets for a little six-game homestand. Then, they have seven games away from home, first in Washington and then in Miami. It will be a nice change of pace and should be another winning stretch of baseball.
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