CLEARWATER, Fla. — Offense is likely to be in short supply for the Phillies this season, so emphasis is being placed on run prevention. That’s one of the reasons the team has changed the infield grass at Citizens Bank Park (see story).
In the outfield, manager Pete Mackanin would like to assemble a fleet-footed unit that can swiftly chase down balls.
That ideal suffered a blow when Aaron Altherr went down with a wrist injury that will keep him out for four to six months (see story). Altherr was the team’s projected rightfielder, a lanky, 6-5 athlete who throws well and covers a lot of ground with his long strides.
With Altherr out, the Phillies will give Rule 5 player Tyler Goeddel a long look in the corner outfield spots. Like Altherr, Goeddel is a tall (6-4) and rangy athlete who runs well. He converted to corner outfield from third base while playing for Tampa Bay’s Double A club last season.
Goeddel had a strong chance to make the club coming into camp. He’s 23 and has upside and the Phillies are looking to add players like that into their system. With Altherr out, Goeddel now has a chance to be in the team’s opening day outfield with Odubel Herrera and Peter Bourjos, who are projected starters. Altherr’s injury could also provide an opportunity for Cody Asche, but he first must get back on the field after suffering an oblique strain early in camp.
“I like Odubel. I like what I see of Bourjos. I like Goeddel. If Cody Asche gets heatlhy, he'll be in that mix. And then we'll go from there,” Mackanin said.
Non-roster players David Lough, Cedric Hunter, Ryan Jackson and Emmanuel Burris also could be in hunt to make the team as a reserve outfielder.
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And it’s possible the Phillies could look to another organization for outfield help either in a trade or waiver claim. Matt Szczur, the former Villanova football/baseball star, could be a name to watch later in camp as he is out of minor-league options.
Darin Ruf and Brock Stassi are both first basemen who can play some outfield. Mackanin is reluctant to use either one there, however.
“The thing we all wanted to see in the outfield was better coverage,” Mackanin said. “Speed. Legitimate outfielders. To experiment with a guy [like Stassi] who is not a legitimate outfielder is something I'd rather not do. I would prefer not to play Ruf in the outfield. He's a good outfielder. But I want coverage. I want better range so that these pitchers become better pitchers.”
Altherr, who impressed in 39 games with the big club late last season, was scheduled to have surgery to repair a torn ligament sheath in his left wrist in Philadelphia on Wednesday. He injured the wrist diving for a ball on Friday.
“I'm disappointed,” Mackanin said of losing Altherr. “This would be a good year for him to establish himself. He's an unproven outfielder and unproven major-league player. This would have been an ideal year for him to do that. Now he's set back probably a year, which I'm not happy about.
“At the same time, these kind of things happen. They happen to every team. Somebody will go down at some point or another and you just have to do the best you can and put it behind you and wait until he comes back into the picture.”