Aaron Altherr needs wrist surgery, could be out for 6 months

CLEARWATER, Fla. - For six weeks at the end of last season, the Phillies watched a young outfielder impress, and it was enough to arouse curiosity. Was Aaron Altherr a middle-of-the-order bat, a fourth outfielder, or neither? That element of the unknown was enough for a rebuilding team to anoint Altherr as an everyday player in 2016.

Then, on the first play of a weekend Grapefruit League game, Altherr twisted his left wrist as he dove for a ball in right field. The damage was extensive. Altherr will undergo surgery Wednesday in Philadelphia for a torn tendon sheath, and the Phillies said he will be sidelined for four to six months.

His first full season in the majors could be over before it ever started.

"It's disappointing, certainly, for a young player who had a lot to prove," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. "We were certainly excited to watch him play."

The injury is a blow to one of the thinnest units on the team, and to a 25-year-old player who could face more competition for a job upon his return. By then, outfield prospects Roman Quinn and Nick Williams, could be ready.

For now, the outfield picture is muddled.

"We're not going to sit here and feel sorry for ourselves," Klentak said. "We have a lot of good players in camp that are competing really hard for an opportunity. And now there is an opportunity."

That opportunity is a boon for Tyler Goeddel, a Rule 5 pick who has never played above double A. Goeddel, 23, was an infielder in Tampa Bay's system until last season, when he played all three outfield spots. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Goeddel has made an impression with his athleticism and plate discipline.

"He becomes huge," Mackanin said. "We need the righthanded bats. We'll just see how it plays out."

Odubel Herrera, a former Rule 5 pick who shined in an everyday role last season, is entrenched in center. Peter Bourjos, a waiver claim who signed for $2 million after he spent much of 2015 as a bench player for St. Louis, will man one of the corners.

Beyond them, the team's outfield depth is meager. Cody Asche remains out of action with a strained rib cage, and there is no timetable for his return.

David Lough, 30, has appeared in the majors in each of the last four seasons. The non-roster invitee slogged to a .555 OPS in 144 plate appearances last season with Baltimore. Cedric Hunter, 27, played six major-league games for San Diego five years ago. Darnell Sweeney, 25, did not play in the outfield until 2014 and is a veteran of 37 major-league games. Quinn and Williams are ticketed for the minors.

The Phillies, who still hold top priority on the waiver wire, could add an outfielder later this month as other teams make cuts.

"We would like to fill it internally," Klentak said. "We owe it to the guys in camp to give them that chance to fill that spot. We'll survey the market. If there's something out there, we'll explore it. But we feel pretty good about the guys we have here."

Randall Culp, a hand specialist in Philadelphia, will perform the surgery on Altherr. The outfielder met with Culp on Monday and then received permission from the Phillies to seek a second opinion Tuesday in New York. The tendon sheath is a layer of membrane that covers and holds the wrist tendon in place.

Altherr has a history of wrist problems. He hurt his right wrist during Arizona Fall League play in 2013 and later underwent surgery that sidelined him for all of spring training and delayed the start of his 2014 season. He ended the 2015 season with soreness in his left wrist.

This specific injury - a torn extensor carpi ulnaris retinaculum - is uncommon. Mark Teixeira attempted to play through the injury in 2013, underwent surgery that July, and returned in time for 2014. But he posted a career-worst .398 slugging percentage that season. He raised it by 150 points in 2015.

Hitters will say wrist injuries most affect power, the part of Altherr's game that left the greatest impression in 2015. He slugged .489 with 20 extra-base hits in 39 games. It was the type of performance that allowed the Phillies to dream of him as an everyday presence in the lineup.

Now they must replace him.

mgelb@philly.com

@MattGelb