Apr 15, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (16) hits a sacrifice fly against the San Francisco Giants in the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. All players wore #42 for Jackie Robinson Day. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
It's been a rough start at the plate for Brandon Marsh this season. Now, the field may have gotten him too. Literally.
When a base hit by Wilmer Flores took a strange carom off the Citizens Bank Park grass in the seventh inning on Wednesday, Marsh planted awkwardly and seemed to hyperextend his right leg a bit. He felt something in his right knee.
He gutted it out and finished the game, but his knee was sore enough afterwards to not be included in the lineup Thursday and to be evaluated by team doctors.
Manager Rob Thomson had no status on his evaluation when he met with the media prior to the series finale against the San Francisco Giants.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Brandon Marsh twisted his right knee during last night’s game. That’s why he’s not in the lineup. @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/iC4dbgs6Hf
— Dave Uram (@MrUram) April 17, 2025
Johan Rojas was inserted into the lineup in centerfield in place of Marsh.
If Marsh has to miss time, the Phillies don't have many centerfield options.
Cal Stevenson is on the 40-man roster and bats lefthanded, so he would be the most likely replacement, as he could fill the left-handed side of a platoon with Rojas.
Oscar Mercado is in Triple-A with Lehigh Valley, but he isn't on the 40-man roster and the Phillies would have to add him and waive someone else from the 40-man to make room.
The Phillies trotted Edmundo Sosa out to centerfield for an inning last week, and had an adventurous start from him in left field in Atlanta. He's likely an in-case-of-emergency option out there. Max Kepler has played in center before in his career, but not since April 19, 2022.
Weston Wilson is getting closer to the conclusion of his rehab assignment, but he's not really a centerfield option at the Big League level.
In short, despite his struggles, the Phillies need Marsh, and are likely holding their breath that this evaluation finds nothing of significance in Marsh's knee and that he only needs a day or two rest.
Ranger Suarez made a rehab start for Low-A Clearwater on Wednesday and by all accounts, it was a positive outing.
He threw 54 pitches across four innings, allowing one run and five hits while striking out seven. The velocity on his fastball topped out at 92 MPH.
Ranger Suarez just finished his second start of the season for the Clearwater Threshers.
4.0 IP | 3 H | 1 ER | 1 BB | 7 K | 54 Pitches pic.twitter.com/LRyiLRDAzM
Thomson said Suarez will arrive in Philadelphia tomorrow and will throw a bullpen session at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday.
After that, he will head up to Lehigh Valley to make his next rehab start at Triple-A on Tuesday.
Thomson expects him to be around 70 pitches in that game.
The manager added that Suarez will likely need at least one more start after that before he's ready to return to the Phillies rotation.
If he stays on his current schedule and does only need two more rehab starts, he would be on target to make his season debut the first weekend of May in a home series against Arizona.
Thomson mentioned that Joe Ross has been inconsistent so far to start the season.
"He's had a couple good outings and a couple bad ones," Thomson said.
Ross, who has never been a full-time reliever, had a good run out of the bullpen for the Milwaukee Brewers last season for a couple months. It hasn't translated so far for the Phillies.
Ross took a beating Wednesday. He has now allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 11 hits and two walks in 7 2/3 innings so far this season. That leaves him with an eyesore of an ERA (9.39).
But he's just one example of a scuffling bullpen.
Of the 78 runs the Phillies have allowed this season, the bullpen has been responsible for 32 of them (31 earned). They've yielded 59 hits and 25 walks in 57 2/3 innings. The bullpen collectively has an ERA of 4.84 and a 1.46 WHIP.
