Phillies place Brad Keller on injured list; Kyle Schwarber starts at first base
The Phillies lineup had a different look on Tuesday with Brandon Marsh leading off and Schwarber starting a game at first base for the first time since 2021.
Phillies reliever Brad Keller was placed on the injured list with right forearm tendinitis, the team announced Tuesday.
The move is retroactive to Sunday. Keller has a 4.15 ERA in 31 appearances for the Phillies and is 3-for-4 in save opportunities. Interim manager Don Mattingly has used the right-hander in a high-leverage role this season, often as a setup for closer Jhoan Duran. The bulk of Keller’s appearances have come in the eighth inning.
In his last outing in Milwaukee on Saturday, Keller allowed three runs to score in the eighth on three singles, two walks, and a wild pitch.
In a corresponding move, Max Lazar was recalled from triple-A Lehigh Valley to join the Phillies bullpen. Lazar started the season on the injured list after suffering an oblique injury during the World Baseball Classic. He has a 3.86 ERA in 11 appearances for the IronPigs this year.
Marsh leading off; Schwarber at first
The Phillies lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Marlins had a few twists.
Brandon Marsh was leading off against former Phillie Tyler Phillips, his first time starting a game atop the order since 2022.
Kyle Schwarber, hitting second in the order, started a game at first base for the first time since 2021. He had previously played an inning at first late in a blowout loss to the A’s in May, after Mattingly emptied the bench.
Trea Turner, who was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning Monday and later exited, was out of the lineup but is feeling better, according to Mattingly.
» READ MORE: The Phillies’ Brandon Marsh is third among NL outfielders in first All-Star vote update
Schwarber started at first base on Tuesday to allow Bryce Harper to move to designated hitter and take a day off from defense, Mattingly said.
“Him being on the field like 10, 12 times a year has been in the works. He does work there occasionally,” Mattingly said. “We’re not going to kill him anywhere, but he handles himself all right out there. But we have to be able to do it some to be able to get Harp off his feet. This is kind of the week that we’re a little dinged up in the infield. … Just trying to give everybody a day, the guys that are kind of in there every day, before the extra off day coming.”
Mattingly, a nine-time Gold Glove winner at first base, is confident in Schwarber’s ability to adjust to the position.
“These guys have played their whole life, and I know we’re putting them in positions that aren’t really what they do, and you don’t want to do that all the time, but these guys are baseball players,” Mattingly said.
“They’ve been the best athletes on their teams from the time they were 8 years old, probably. So, him going out there, he’s probably going to have fun out there.”
The Marsh-Schwarber-Harper configuration stacks three lefties at the top of the Phillies order, which Mattingly felt comfortable doing because of their production against left-handed pitchers this season.
“Harp handles lefties, Schwarb handles them, Brandon’s been good with them,” Mattingly said. “They’re playing every day anyway. So this was one of those things that, today, felt OK.”
Turner expected to return Wednesday
Turner’s bruised right wrist felt better Tuesday, Mattingly said, though he was still sore and stiff.
The Phillies shortstop was in the midst of a deep slump before he was hit by a fastball in the sixth inning on Monday.
Over his last seven games, Turner is 3-for-29 with 10 strikeouts and just one walk. His batting average has dropped to .216. In addition to helping him rest his wrist, Mattingly hopes a day off could help Turner reset at the plate.
“I think obviously getting off your feet, when you play every day, getting off your feet always helps a little bit,” Mattingly said. “I mean, I don’t know if we’re talking like he’s going to get hot or anything like that, but days off are good now and then.”
Extra bases
Right-handed pitcher Jackson Rutledge, who was designated for assignment by the Phillies on June 11, was released. … Andrew Painter (1-7, 6.43 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday’s series finale against Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara (6-4, 4.25).
Say this for the Phillies: They are what we thought they were, a playoff contender led by two aces atop the starting rotation and a dominant closer. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham joins "Phillies Extra," The Inquirer's baseball podcast, to discuss the state of the Phillies' pitching, from the success of Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler to the struggles of Andrew Painter. Watch here.
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