Phillies notes: Hill, Painter updates, defensive alignment, prospect watch originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Twenty years ago, Aaron Rowand famously ran into the center-field wall at Citizens Bank Park, smashing his face into the fencing area while making one of the greatest catches in Phillies history.
On Wednesday night, Derek Hill hit the wall in almost the exact same spot.
Rowand went on the injured list and returned 16 days later. His injury required a trip to the emergency room after he broke his nose, cheekbone and orbital bone.
For more than two minutes Wednesday, Hill stayed down on the field as he waited for help from the Phillies’ medical staff. It was a scary scene, and the comparison was hard to miss.
Fortunately for the Phillies’ outfielder, the initial news was much better.
Mattingly said Wednesday night that Hill had a shoulder contusion. On Thursday, he said Hill went through the necessary protocol and could be available if he got through pregame work.
“Derek went through all the protocol he had to go through,” Mattingly said. “He feels like he probably should have after running into a wall.”
That counts as a win for the Phillies.
Hill has dealt with several injuries across his seven-year major-league career, and his intensity can work against him at times. But that same edge is part of what he has brought to the Phillies since arriving in a June trade.
He has given them defense, speed and more power than expected. Hill’s .437 slugging percentage ranks 16th among right-handed hitting outfielders with at least 150 plate appearances. It is four points below Mike Trout’s and higher than Julio Rodríguez, Teoscar Hernández and Ronald Acuña Jr.
Hill has nine homers, and among that same group, he ranks fifth in plate appearances per homer at 18.44.
Selective endpoints or not, he has given the Phillies a version of what Harrison Bader provided last year whenever his name was called.
That is why avoiding the injured list is crucial, in many ways.
“If he’s good, he’ll be ready to go tonight,” Mattingly said.
PAINTER UPDATE
The Phillies also got encouraging news on Andrew Painter.
The rookie right-hander left Wednesday’s start after four innings and 63 pitches with left hamstring tightness. It was an immediate concern because the Phillies had just committed to him as their fifth starter after the trade deadline.
Painter was optimistic after the game regarding his healthy and the update verified that feeling.
He underwent imaging, and Mattingly said the results came back clean. The expectation is that Painter will make his next start against the Cardinals in St. Louis.
“Andrew feels pretty good,” Mattingly said. “Had imaging this morning. Came back good. I expect him to make that start at this point unless something comes up.”
For a team that did not add a veteran starter at the deadline, that was a major sigh of relief.
“Really good,” Mattingly said. “You’re not going to be searching for a starter every fifth day. And really everything last night could have been a lot worse.”
That included Painter’s hamstring, Hill’s collision with the wall and Harper’s hand getting stuck in the dirt on a stolen-base attempt.
“It all basically came up good,” Mattingly said.
Could the Phillies still look around for starting pitching that gets designated for assignment around the league?
That still seems likely. There is not much upper-level rotation depth in the minor-league system, and it seems unlikely that top pitching prospect Gage Wood, even fully healthy, would be the next arm they turn to in September.
But for now, the Phillies are not scrambling to replace Painter.
DEFENSIVE ALIGNMENT
The Phillies are two games into their new defensive alignment after acquiring Luis Arraez.
On Tuesday, Harper started in right field and Bryson Stott started at third base, positions neither had played in at least four years. They became just the seventh pair of teammates since 1946, the post-World War II era, to start the same game at positions they had not played in at least four years.
It was the first such pair since 1997.
The last Phillies pair to do it was Bill Kelly at first base and Al Nixon in left field on April 11, 1928.
When the Phillies traded for Arraez, they believed the bat and glove at second base warranted the shuffle. That does not even factor in Alec Bohm moving across the diamond to first.
Arraez has been one of the best defensive second basemen in baseball this season. Stott has been there for years.
So, with Stott, Bohm and Harper settling into new spots, how much worse can the defense really get, for the club that has the lowest defensive runs saved metric in baseball?
It could eventually be better.
Mattingly is not worried about Stott at third or Bohm at first. Harper is the variable.
“Getting him in shape for the outfield, accustomed to it, where he’s feeling like an outfielder,” Mattingly said. Bohmer and Stott, I don’t worry about at all… they’re both good at them.”
Harper’s first few games back in the outfield have looked fine, though Wednesday did bring a reminder that the move will take time.
On CJ Abrams’ triple in the 11th inning, Hill crashed into the wall after the ball ricocheted off the center-field fence. Mattingly said he did not notice it live, but the Phillies want Harper backing up on that type of play.
“Obviously, we had a little bump with the backup last night,” Mattingly said. “He’s not used to that.”
The Phillies are also still figuring out exactly where Harper should play in right field. Mattingly said he would probably feel more comfortable with Harper deeper, but the club will trust its positioning.
“I just think it’s harder to field it going back than coming in,” Mattingly said.
The larger defensive question still sits at shortstop.
Turner has again graded poorly by the metrics at one of the most important defensive positions on the field. If Harper is the biggest adjustment in the short term, Turner remains the most important piece if the Phillies want this new alignment to stabilize.
EYES ON FARM
Since the Phillies sent Alex McFarlane back to Triple A after his major-league debut, he has thrown 3 1/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts.
He was one of the more interesting trade chips the Phillies could have used at the deadline. Instead, they held onto the 25-year-old fireballer.
The biggest thing for McFarlane will be continuing to improve against left-handed hitters. The Phillies view him as a potential high-leverage reliever down the road, but they also want him to develop before calling him back solely out of need.
The bullpen is in a much better place from a depth perspective than it was a week ago.
Francisco Renteria, meanwhile, might be the most exciting player in the lower levels of the system.
The 17-year-old outfielder, whom the Phillies signed out of Maracaibo, Venezuela, is batting .360 with eight homers and 43 RBIs in the Dominican Summer League.
Renteria already has the feel of a prospect who could become one of the bigger names in the organization over the next few years. He has shown five-tool ability since arriving in professional baseball.
Remember the name.
