Brandon Marsh out of the lineup but likely will be back vs. the Dodgers

SAN DIEGO — Brandon Marsh was out of the lineup on Wednesday with a sprained right middle finger, but the Phillies don’t expect it to require an extended absence.

Marsh, who was lifted in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s 4-3 win after hyperextending his finger, is considered day-to-day. His finger felt stiff and swollen, but interim manager Don Mattingly said he expects Marsh to possibly be ready to play in Friday’s series opener against the Dodgers.

“I think he could have possibly played [Wednesday],” Mattingly said.

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When he does return to the lineup, Marsh said he will be wearing two sliding mitts on the base paths to protect both his hands, rather than just one. The injury occurred in the first inning Tuesday, when he was diving back to first base and his bare hand collided with Ty France’s glove on the tag.

“It was just a bang-bang play, just bent the finger back,” Marsh said.

The Phillies caught a lucky break with Marsh avoiding a serious injury. The left fielder has been one of their most consistent hitters this season. His .326 batting average ranked second in baseball out of qualified hitters entering Wednesday, only behind Miami shortstop Otto Lopez (.342). He has also made strides against left-handed pitchers, which has been a major challenge for him throughout his career. His OPS against lefties this year is up to .710, compared to his career mark of .592.

Under Mattingly, he’s essentially played his way into an everyday role, as has second baseman Bryson Stott.

“I think they show you that they can play every day,” Mattingly said. “What Stott’s been doing, just in general. I keep going back to what we’re doing on the mound. I’d like to keep our best defense out there as much as possible. Stott is definitely that at second base. Marsh is getting his hits; Stott’s getting his hits. They’ve been just as good as the righties, if I can put it that way, so it’s not like I’m taking a guy that’s crushing out of the lineup.”

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Mattingly started Edmundo Sosa in left field on Wednesday instead of Otto Kemp, who has not played since May 20. Since getting recalled from triple A on May 18, Kemp has played in three games and is 0-for-5 at the plate.

“Hard for me to say what the plan is, because it’s kind of a little bit like Felix [Reyes, who was sent back to triple A],” Mattingly said. “Once we started playing Sosa in left, and Stott’s playing every day now, Marsh is kind of playing every day now. It’s tough to find at-bats, and I don’t want to force it, so it’s a tough spot to be in.”

Justin Crawford entered Wednesday’s game still searching for his first hit since May 18. After starting his rookie season on a tear, Crawford has a .179 average in 67 at-bats in May.

Crawford’s ground-ball rate of 61.3% is highest in the major leagues, but unlike earlier this year, lately he’s not finding as many holes in the infield.

Even so, Mattingly doesn’t think things have reached a point where Crawford might need a day or two off to reset.

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“He looks the same to me, as far as his face and his actions, his body language,” Mattingly said. “Seeing a little bit of frustration, which is kind of natural for anybody that’s in a stretch, but nothing that alarms me that this kid can’t handle this. I think [his at-bats have] been OK.

“There’s things for him to work on. Teams are constantly making adjustments to him, and he has to be able to combat those. But there’s nothing on his face or body language that tells me that he’s getting overwhelmed right now, that needs to get him out of the lineup for any reason.”

Kyle Schwarber was in the leadoff spot for the second consecutive game Wednesday, with Trea Turner in the No. 2 spot. … Following Thursday’s off day, Zack Wheeler (4-0, 1.67 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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As the Phillies continue to seek more production out of the cleanup spot, Rhys Hoskins was back in town with the Cleveland Guardians. Hoskins sat down with "Phillies Extra," The Inquirer's baseball podcast, to discuss his role with the first-place Guardians, his legacy with the Phillies, and more. Watch here.

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