The Phillies’ rough stretch got uglier Friday night in Detroit, and the latest concern arrived before the first pitch. Center fielder Justin Crawford was scratched from the lineup with left knee soreness, adding a health question to a 10-2 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park.
Interim manager Don Mattingly said the club is going to take its time with the rookie. “We’ll probably be careful with him, but we’ll see how he is [Saturday].
If he wakes up sore or swelling, they’ll probably do [a MRI].’’ Mattingly also said, “He had some [knee] soreness and we’ll see how it goes.
It felt better as the game went on.”
Crawford’s absence came at a time when he has been giving Philadelphia a lift at the plate. He is batting .263 with 21 runs batted in through 73 games, and since the start of June he has hit .313.
The 2022 first-round pick, taken No. 17 overall, made his Major League Baseball debut on March 26 and made an immediate splash by getting a hit on the first pitch of his first at-bat. He added another hit later in that game.
Derek Hill stepped in for Crawford in center field and made an early impact of his own. Hill, who began his MLB career with Detroit in 2020, drove in a run with a single in the top of the third and then tied the game at 2-2 with a solo homer in the top of the fourth.
That was about as good as it got for Philadelphia. The Tigers broke things open in the sixth, when Tim Mayza surrendered an RBI single, then committed a throwing error after Zack McKinstry laid down a sacrifice bunt, allowing Matt Vierling to score. Mayza then gave up a triple to James Outman that brought in Vierling and Eduardo Valencia.
Detroit tacked on three more runs in the seventh and never looked back.
The loss was Philadelphia’s fourth in its last six games, and its third in the last five in which it has allowed at least 10 runs. At 52-43, the Phillies still trail the Braves by three games in the National League East.
The teams will meet again Saturday and Sunday before the All-Star break begins for the Phillies. That All-Star Game will be held at Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia.
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Phillies Suddenly Have A Justin Crawford Question They Can't Ignore
Justin Crawfords recent progress has given the Phillies a little reason for optimism, but his situation is still one they have to watch closely. The young outfielder had been dealing with left knee soreness and was scratched from the lineup on Friday, a reminder that even a brief absence can complicate the picture for a team trying to map out its next few weeks.
The bigger issue is what Crawfords status means for Philadelphias outfield plans as the trade deadline approaches. If hes ready to contribute soon, the Phillies can afford to be more patient in how they address the position, but if his availability lingers in question, the front office may have to rethink how aggressively it pursues help. [Read more 🡒]
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For Schwarber, the bigger adjustment may not even belong to the hitter. He pointed out that the pitcher feeding balls into the derby will have to recalibrate the whole operation, from where to stand to how hard to throw, and even adjust to throwing to a catcher rather than a batting-practice backdrop. It is the kind of behind-the-scenes wrinkle that can matter just as much as the format itself, especially for a showcase built around rhythm, timing and repetition. [Read more 🡒]