Flash Forward: A Victorino/Brown Platoon?
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Flash Forward: A Victorino/Brown Platoon?
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
In our chat session today, there were a lot of questions about the Phillies' outfield situation once Shane Victorino returns. After all, Raul Ibanez is the Phillies' hottest hitter, Jayson Werth leads the team with a .901 OPS, and rookie Domonic Brown has hardly looked over his head since debuting last week.
Well, Victorino isn't eligible to return from the disabled list until next Thursday, and he said today that his recovery might drag into that next week, so the Phillies have some time to figure things out.
I asked Charlie Manuel if he had thought about how he would handle the situation, and, predictably, he said he hadn't.
"I'm sure it will work itself," the Phils manager said.
Manuel has said several times -- the latest time coming today -- that he expects Brown to play between 60 and 70 percent of the time. Would he be able to get that kind of time with Victorino back in center field?
Ibanez has been the team's hottest hitter over the last month, when he has hit .358/.441/.547 with 6 doubles, 4 home runs, 17 RBI and 21 runs. On July 1, he was hitting .236. Heading into tonight's game, he is hitting .269.
You'd think that Brown could give Werth some days off against right-handed pitchers, except that Werth is actually hitting better against righties (.299, .931 OPS, 14 home runs) than against lefties (.271, .812 OPS, 1 HR) this season.
The most logical way to get Brown at-bats -- other than sending him back to the minors -- might be a platoon with Victorino.
The switch-hitting Victorino is hitting just .230/.295/.399 with 10 home runs in 291 ABs against right-handed pitchers. Against lefties, he is hitting .311/.370/.557 with 5 home runs in 106 ABs.
Brown doesn't play center field, but Werth does, which means the Phillies could use Brown in right against right-handed pitchers and have Victorino as a pinch-hitter/pinch-runner type.
Mix in some days off for Werth and Ibanez, and Manuel could certainly hit his target of playing Brown 60 to 70 percent of the time.
It'll be interesting to see what happens.
UH, Pat's no longer with the Phillies...............— SEEK313- chooch needs to stay in the 7 slot...hes getting better pitches...and coincidentally hes having a great year...go figure.— MFPhils
- BaseballReference.com : Raul Javier Ibanez Positions: Leftfielder and First Baseman Bats: Left, Throws: Right Height: 6' 2", Weight: 225 lb.— AsValidAsYours
- You do not platoon your regular center-fielder to give someone at-bats. Either use Brown as a Pinch-hitter or as a defensive replacement. It is too late to send him back to Triple A because their season ends in late August.— jpelle36
- I'd bench Werth. I don't care what his OPS is. He can't do anything with men on base, and he's an adventure in the outfield. I'd rather have Victorino for defense.— grumpifrog
- As soon as Ibanez and/or Werth cool off, you will have your answer. In recent memory, the Phillies have never had TOO MANY good players with nowhere to play them. Remember a few years ago the Phillies & the media were foaming about their "surplus of starting pitchers (including Jon Lieber)? Injuries and/or slumps always seem to make Charlie's tough decisions for him.— jman
- AsValidAsYours, You are using Baseball Reference.com's position label for Ibanez to justify that Ibanez can play 1st base? Are you for real? Ibanez hasn't played 1B since 2005, and has never played more than a dozen or so games there per year during his career. Is THAT who you want fielding grounders and throws for a team scratching to catch the Braves? Leave him in LF and don't do anything that might cause his hot streak to end.— jman
- Ibanez's run right now is nice, but a mirage. He only started hitting after Charlie starting sitting him down. Taking a few ABs from him is no big deal. Ibanez is not a critical part of this team. He's had a good first half in 2009 and a good few weeks recently. That's it.— Steve Jeltz
- i think brown should be sent down if victorino is able to play. brown needs the daily playing time to gain experience in fielding. after the major league exposure, he probable recognizes his need to improve hitting the major league caliber of left handed pitchers.— pobob
