HOUSTON -- Just as he was showing real signs of improvement at the plate and settling into his new role and team, Cristian Pache suffered a knee injury that will keep him out for some time.
Pache tore the meniscus in his right knee Friday night after hitting an RBI double off of Astros lefty Framber Valdez. He slipped past the second base bag and immediately pointed to his knee, limping back. Pache was lifted from the game and replaced by Brandon Marsh, the Phillies' regular center fielder.
Pache will undergo surgery Monday in Philadelphia while the Phillies continue their road trip at Dodger Stadium. There is no firm timetable yet for his recovery. Manager Rob Thomson did say Saturday that he was hopeful Pache could return this season.
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"I feel for him and for the club because he was really playing well, really improving," Thomson said.
The Phillies acquired Pache from Oakland for minor-league reliever Billy Sullivan the day before the regular season began. He began 0 for 6 but has gone 9 for 19 since with three doubles and a homer.
Dalton Guthrie was recalled from Triple A to take Pache's spot on the active roster. Guthrie got the call over Simón Muzziotti because of his right-handed bat. Muzziotti is off to a hot start at Triple A Lehigh Valley, hitting .381 in 87 plate appearances. Guthrie was hitting .279/.380/.481 with 10 extra-base hits.
"Now Dalton Guthrie comes up, takes his spot and we'll utilize him basically the same way we did Cristian," Thomson said.
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Guthrie appeared in 14 regular-season games and one playoff game with the Phillies last season. In a small sample, he played well offensively and defensively. The 27-year-old was drafted in the sixth round by the Phillies in 2017.
It will be interesting to see how much more the Phils integrate Marsh against left-handed pitching. Marsh hit just .188 with three extra-base hits in 105 plate appearances against lefties last season but has been much better in the early going this year, hitting .348 with six extra-base hits in 25 plate appearances. He hit an RBI single off of Valdez Friday night.
"No doubt about it," Thomson said Friday night about growing more and more comfortable using Marsh against southpaws. "I'm good with him and (Bryson) Stott, they're both having good at-bats against lefties."