Tigers 9, Phillies 8: Odúbel Herrera homers, makes late push for roster spot after Roman Quinn falls ill

Odúbel Herrera made a late push Saturday for the Phillies’ starting job in center field while the apparent leader in the race missed his second-straight game with what the team believes is food poisoning.

Herrera went 3-for-4 with a 394-foot homer in a 9-8 Grapefruit League loss to the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla. Roman Quinn has the best numbers this spring in the center-field race, but an illness has kept him out of the lineup for two straight days. The Phillies hope he can play Sunday.

There are just two spring games left before Thursday’s season opener. Time is running thin, but Herrera’s day could boost his chances.

“It can definitely help,” manager Joe Girardi said. “But again, we’ll sit down and talk in the next day or so and then we’ll make our decision and live with it. Again, I’m going to say it, it’s not the final decision for the whole year. It’s the decision for opening day.”

Herrera jumped on Julio Teheran’s first-pitch sinker in the first inning for a homer to right center. Herrera jumped Teheran’s first-pitch again in the fourth, driving a changeup for a double to left.

It was a needed day for Herrera, who seemed to be fading out of the center-field competition after entering Saturday with just three hits in his last 23 at-bats. His chances are still slimmer than the other competitors – Quinn, Adam Haseley, and Scott Kingery – since Herrera first needs to be added to the 40-man roster.

The Phillies are facing a squeeze on their roster this spring and they need to create one more opening this week before adding utility player Matt Joyce and reliever Brandon Kintzler. Herrera would require another player to be trimmed.

» READ MORE: Brandon Kintzler overcame stress and anxiety to make the Phillies’ bullpen

Haseley went 1-for-4 on Saturday with a three-run double off prospect Alex Lange. Kingery went 1-for-3 with two strikeouts and seems to be out of the running to start in center on Thursday. The Phillies hoped one of the players would separate themselves and make the choice an easy one. Instead, it was a lackluster race. And the Phillies have a decision to make.

“The center-field thing is going to go down to the end,” Girardi said.

Aaron Nola struck out five batters in three innings in his final start before Thursday’s opener. In his final two starts of spring, Nola has 14 strikeouts and no walks with just one earned run over nine innings. He seems ready.

» READ MORE: Phillies’ players believe it’s time to win even though doubt lingers outside the organization | Bob Brookover

Archie Bradley threw 15 pitches, 12 of which were strikes as he retired the three batters he faced in the fourth inning. He struck out Miguel Cabrera and Jonathan Schoop and his fastball topped out at 94.5 mph. The team’s big addition to the bullpen has logged eight appearances this spring, seven of which have been scoreless. The Phillies have not yet said who the closer will be, but Bradley is in the running.

» READ MORE: Who’s the closer? Phillies have several options to handle the ninth inning | Scott Lauber

Bradley was followed by Sam Coonrod and JoJo Romero, who both logged scoreless innings to remain in the race for one of the final bullpen jobs. Coonrod, a right-hander, and Romero, a left-hander, join Vince Velasquez and David Hale as four relievers competing for three spots.

“We know that whoever doesn’t come with us, we have depth and it’s a good arm,” Girardi said. “We feel good about the 14 pitchers we have in camp, but we’re not going to carry 14.”

Matt Joyce walked in the fourth inning and singled in the fifth a day after learning he would make the opening-day roster. He’s a left-handed hitting option off the bench who can play the outfield corners. He had an .858 OPS in 2019 with Atlanta, giving the Phillies a bench bat in the mold of Jay Bruce.

Zack Wheeler starts Sunday at 1:05 p.m. in Clearwater, Fla. against the Yankees. NBC Sports Philadelphia and WIP-FM will carry the game.