Harrison Bader's brief cameo in the Philadelphia Phillies' 4-3 Game 2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday came with some impact.
After leaving Game 1 of the National League Division Series with a groin injury, manager Rob Thomson kept him out of the lineup for Game 2. Instead, he came off the bench and logged a pinch hit single during the Phillies' ninth-inning rally that fell just short. Thomson immediately lifted him for a pinch runner.
With the series now shifting to Los Angeles for Game 3, Thomson was not ready to declare Bader's status for Wednesday night. He called him a “game-time decision,” according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Gelb added that Bader is feeling “a little better.”
As of Game 2, Bader was able to hit, but his inability to run prevented him from playing the outfield or running the bases effectively. That made it a gamble for him to pinch hit in the ninth inning, given that a ground ball double play would have ended the game. It's unclear if he will be able to do more on Wednesday.
Thomson said before Game 2 that the groin strain seemed “very mild,” meaning it did not warrant a playoff IL stint. If the Phillies were to remove Bader from the active roster, that would make him ineligible for the NLCS, should the team advance.
The Phillies sluggers need to get going
Two games is an impossibly small sample size, but it could also be two thirds of the series' total games if the Phillies don't rally on Wednesday. To do so, they will likely need more from the top of their order.
Philadelphia's top third of the lineup — Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper — are a combined 2-21 over the first two games with 11 strikeouts and no extra base hits.
“I think those guys are trying to do a little too much right now,” Thomson said, via MLB.com. “Instead of just being themselves and looking for base hits and the power will come.”
For Turner, it's less about the numbers and more about managing to get the timely hit.
“We're getting baserunners, we're getting walks,” he said. “We're just not getting that timely hit or that slug.”
