The Philadelphia Phillies have lost outfielder Harrison Bader for at least the remainder of Game 1 of Saturday night's National League Division Series against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia due to a lower-body issue.
“Phillies center fielder Harrison Bader left the game with a left hamstring strain, the Phillies announce,”
Bob Nightengale of USA Today shared via a social media post on X, formerly Twitter.
Before he left the contest, Bader was able to contribute to the Phillies' offense with a sacrifice fly RBI in the bottom of the second inning that extended Philadelphia's lead, 3-0. And in the fifth inning, Bader, a former Gold Glove winner during his time with the St. Louis Cardinals, made a big defensive play in the outfield, catching a big fly from Andy Pages with a man on base and zero outs on the board.
Nick Castellanos was called on to pinch-hit for Bader, who made his first appearance in the MLB playoffs since 2022 with the New York Yankees. Castellanos also takes over the right field duties while Brandon Marsh moves to center.
The 31-year-old Bader was a trade deadline acquisition by the Phillies, who traded for him from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Hendry Mendez and Geremy Villoria. Bader has proven himself to be a solid bat for Philadelphia. In 50 games in the regular season in Phillies threads, he hit .305/.361/.463 with five home runs and 16 RBIs while posting a 124 OPS+ through a total of 194 plate appearances.
It remains to be seen whether Bader will be able to see action in Game 2 of the Dodgers series, but he and the Phillies will have a full day of rest on Sunday. The Phillies should have a more concrete update on his outlook and potential availability for the next game against the Dodgers this coming Monday, still in the City of Brotherly Love.
