Philadelphia Phillies suffering from player injuries – MLB News
To say that the number of injured men in the Philadelphia Phillies roster is enough to field another team is not really an exaggeration. Half of the team is on the Disabled List, and if they’re not there, they are waiting for their injuries to mend as they
rest. Extra kudos should definitely be given to the National League East leaders for having the best record in baseball with so many of their men down.
Manager, Charlie Manuel’s statement, “We've got guys falling like flies", easily captures the frustration that the team manager must be feeling given that after the passage of every few games, one of their players has to be taken out of the team for rest,
or a trip to the Disabled List.
The latest to join the All-Injured squad is Shane Victorino who went down in the three game regular season series against the Atlanta Braves, which the Phillies ended up losing. The Phillies’ offence is already below average and barely performing, so having
the most consistent hitter of the lot injured is not something that the team would be too pleased about.
Victorino exited the game on Saturday, during the second match of the series, in the eighth inning due to hamstring soreness and later commented that he wouldn’t be able to play on Sunday, which was the third game of the Phillies’ series against the Braves.
Not only has Victorino been on fire since the season started, he is also the only centre-fielder in the team. The Phillies have no legitimate backup now that he’s going to be missing a few games. Michael Martinez has previously filled in for him for a day
but in the game against the Braves, John Mayberry Jr. took over for Victorino. The fact that Mayberry has never started a game in the centre doesn’t make him the most ideal of players to be chosen for the spot, but limited choices in the line-up don’t leave
room for any alternatives.
Last year, Jayson Werth was used by the Philadelphia management to fill in for Victorino but since Werth has signed on to the Washington Nationals for a staggering $127-million for the duration of seven years, that isn’t an option anymore.
The Phillies are already missing some of their strongest men like Chase Utley their second baseman, Brad Lidge who is a reliever along with Jose Contreras and their ace right hander Roy Oswalt. It will be immensely difficult for the Phillies to keep on performing
like they previously have if even one more player from the team gets injured. Without their top players, the Phillies will struggle as they face some of the top teams in MLB over the coming weeks.
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