Andrew McCutchen’s delayed start to season raises familiar Phillies quandary: Who will bat leadoff? | Extra Innings

Let the competition begin.

All along, new Phillies manager Joe Girardi stressed to the 71 players in camp that he wouldn’t pay too much attention to spring-training results until a few weeks after games began. Well, opening day is only 24 days away, and the fight for jobs is about to heat up.

The Phillies have several spots up for grabs, too, especially for a team with a $200-million-plus payroll, as calculated for luxury-tax purposes. There’s a three-way scramble for the No. 5 starter job (next up: Vince Velasquez, scheduled for three innings tonight against the Braves), in addition to opportunities on the bench and in the bullpen for young players and non-roster invitees alike.

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— Scott Lauber (extrainnings@inquirer.com)

In deciding last week that Andrew McCutchen will start the season on the injured list, the Phillies assured that they will have a 10th different left fielder in as many opening days. (More on that later.)

But they also resurrected a familiar quandary: Who will bat leadoff?

McCutchen was a fixture atop the Phillies’ order for 59 of the first 60 games last season. Then he tore a ligament in his left knee on June 3, an injury that necessitated season-ending surgery. In his absence, former manager Gabe Kapler tried out seven players in the leadoff spot, none proving to be an adequate solution.

So, although the Phillies expect McCutchen to be ready to return at some point in April, Girardi will have to solve the leadoff riddle for at least a few weeks. For now, it seems, the issue of who will step to the plate first on March 26 in Miami is anybody’s guess.

If the Marlins tap right-hander Sandy Alcantara as their opening-day starter, it’s likely the Phillies will use lefty-hitting Jay Bruce in left field. Assuming Adam Haseley starts in center, Scott Kingery could be the choice to bat leadoff. Kingery was 23-for-117 (.197) with a .271 on-base percentage in a leadoff role last season.

But if the Marlins go with lefty Caleb Smith on opening day, the Phillies could counter with switch-hitting Roman Quinn in center field (and Bruce or Haseley in left). Quinn’s speed profiles nicely in the leadoff spot. He went 7-for-21 in a five-game leadoff snippet in 2018 and 1-for-8 in two games last season, sample sizes that are far too small to be revelatory.

Spring-training batting orders are notoriously random, especially before teams have their projected lineups intact. If, however, there is anything to glean about Girardi’s thinking, Quinn has led off in four of the five games that he has started. Kingery has led off in three of his five games.

An outside-the-box option: J.T. Realmuto.

It would be unorthodox to choose a catcher as the leadoff hitter, but Realmuto has done it before, as recently as 2018 with the Marlins. In 41 career games as a leadoff hitter, Realmuto is 59-for-174 (.339) with a .380 on-base percentage. He runs well for a catcher, too.

Girardi, a catcher during his 15-year big-league career, never batted leadoff but did hit second in 146 games. If anyone is going to consider Realmuto atop the order, it might be Girardi, who got a glimpse Sunday when the top half of the order looked like this:

1. Realmuto

2. Bryce Harper

3. Jean Segura

4. Rhys Hoskins

5. Didi Gregorius

Just a thought with opening day looming in a few weeks.

From barback to ... the big leagues? Outfielder Kyle Garlick could be the feel-good story of the spring for the Phillies.

To mark the one-year anniversary of Bryce Harper’s signing with the Phillies, Matt Breen tells the story of the custom-made suit that Harper left on John Middleton’s private plane, a fitting end to the most chaotic offseason of the star right fielder’s life.

It was only a simulated game in the controlled environment of a back field at the Carpenter Complex, but for Seranthony Dominguez, it represented an auspicious return to game conditions and a sign that he’s on track for opening day.

Vince Velasquez or Nick Pivetta for the No. 5 starter spot? How about Ranger Suarez? The lefty has emerged as a legitimate candidate for the job.

As he fights for a roster spot, veteran utilityman Josh Harrison is guided by a verse from the Bible.

Tonight: Phillies visit Braves’ new spring ballpark in North Port, Fla., 6:05 p.m.

Tomorrow: Spring break! Phillies get a day off.

Wednesday: Let’s play two. Split squad vs. Pirates, 1:05 p.m.; at Yankees, 6:35 p.m.

March 23: Phillies break camp in Clearwater, Fla.

March 26: Opening day at Marlins Park in Miami, 4:10 p.m.

Once upon a time, Pat Burrell started eight consecutive opening days in left field for the Phillies.

Those days are long gone.

Raul Ibanez replaced Burrell in 2009 and made three consecutive opening-day starts. Since 2011, though, the Phillies haven’t had any stability in left field. In fact, as mentioned above, McCutchen’s delayed start to this season will mean the Phillies will have a 10th opening-day left fielder in the last 10 years. Here’s the list:

2019: McCutchen

2018: Hoskins

2017: Howie Kendrick

2016: Cedric Hunter

2015: Ben Revere

2014: Tony Gwynn Jr.

2013: Domonic Brown

2012: John Mayberry Jr.

2011: Ibanez

Send questions by email or on Twitter @ScottLauber.

Question: Asked before but still worried about Hoskins. How long does [Joe] Girardi wait to pull the plug during season if he reverts to 2019 2nd half? — @Mikedp27, via Twitter

Answer: Hey, Mike. Thanks for the question. There are legitimate reasons for the Phillies to feel at least some apprehension about Hoskins, none of which has to do with his lack of results so far this spring (3-for-15, seven strikeouts).

It has been documented that Hoskins was among the worst hitters in the majors after the All-Star break last season. Surely you have heard about the changes he made to his stance (see photo above), and it wouldn’t be a surprise if it takes time for everything to click. It all smacks of a young hitter still trying to find his way in the big leagues after a historic beginning to his career.

Just a hunch, but I doubt a poor April will cost Hoskins his job. The Phillies are committed to helping their homegrown slugger get back on track. They also don’t have a backup first baseman ready to step in and play every day. That said, it could get interesting if Alec Bohm is tearing up triple A and both Kingery and Jean Segura are playing well. In that scenario, it isn’t inconceivable that Bohm could come up and take away at-bats from a struggling Hoskins.

But that’s a lot of “ifs." Ask me again on May 1!