The Philadelphia Phillies have less than two weeks until they open the 2025 MLB season in Washington. They have just over a week of Grapefruit League spring training games left. All they really want to do is get to March 27 Opening Day as healthy as possible.
While the Phillies received a positive update on reliever Matt Strahm’s injured shoulder on Saturday, Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles took an ugly turn. We learned that new left fielder Max Kepler left the game during the first inning. According to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, Kepler ran into the left field wall at Ed Smith Stadium after making a catch in the bottom of the first.
That’s certainly not what Phillies fans will want to hear with time ticking down before Opening Day. Unfortunately, we can’t even see what happened because, for some reason, the game at the Orioles’ home ballpark isn’t televised. There isn’t even Statcast data for the contest, for goodness sake.
The only good piece of news is that Kepler ran off the field under his own power, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber.
Phillies outfielders Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh left Sunday’s game early with injuries
To pile on, center fielder Brandon Marsh also left the game to begin the top of the third inning. According to the Phillies, both Kepler and Marsh were removed for precautionary reasons. Kepler with a “lower back contusion” and Marsh with a “left knee contusion.”
From the #Phillies: Max Kepler was removed for precautionary reasons with a lower back contusion. Brandon Marsh exited with a left knee contusion, also precautionary
https://twitter.com/ScottLauber/status/1901335048303124888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1901335048303124888%7Ctwgr%5E3ae602a97f538dd2f407e1ee2a0115ffb7584e02%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthatballsouttahere.com%2Fphillies-max-kepler-brandon-marsh-exiting-game-early-injuries-should-have-fans-nervous
The Phillies really can’t afford to lose an outfielder (or two), especially this late in the spring. The depth is already thin to begin with. The 10-year veteran Kepler was brought in this offseason on a one-year, $10 million contract to help add some offensive power to an outfield that finished 20th in fWAR last season.
Coming into Sunday’s game, Kepler was slashing a very healthy .360/.484/.800 with three home runs and nine RBI in 31 spring plate appearances. He battled numerous injuries last year, and the Phillies need him to stay healthy for their plans to work out.
Marsh, who began the game hitting .269 with a .749 OPS, had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last offseason. The procedure delayed his start to spring training in 2024 but didn’t cause him problems during the season, as far as we know.
Right now, center field is Marsh’s to lose, while veteran Nick Castellanos will take up his usual position in right on an ever day basis. Johan Rojas looks like he’ll be the fourth outfielder heading into the season, as he will finally get into game action out in center this coming week. He came to camp recovering from a jammed shoulder he suffered in the Dominican Winter League and has been ramping up his throwing all spring.
