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New Phillies outfielder Austin Hays is batting ninth and playing left field in his Phillies debut on Saturday night against the Guardians. Expect him to take down the bulk of the reps for the Phillies in left for the next few games.
Rob Thomson officially revealed his plans for the Phillies outfield with Hays now in the mix. Hays will take over for Brandon Marsh in left field against both left handed and right-handed starting pitchers. Marsh will shift over to center field against right-handed starters and Rojas will play center against left-handed starters.
Thomson said he’ll give the plan about 10 days and reevaluate.
“I’m gonna let him go,” Thomson said about Hays. “This guy was an All-Star last year. It’s going to cut into Rojas’ time a little bit.”
Part of the reasoning why the Phillies want to give Hays the opportunity to take down left field on an everyday basis is because the Orioles’ left-handed hitting outfielders, namely Colton Cowser, cut into his playing time against right-handed pitching. In 18 starts against right-handed starting pitchers this season, Hays is slashing .267/.306/.444 with three home runs and 11 RBIs. Against all righties, Hays is slashing .204/.262/.323.
In 399 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers in 2023, Hays batted .280 with 11 home runs, 46 RBIs and a .763 OPS.
As for Rojas, he could appear late in games as either a pinch runner or defensive replacement. Thomson said Marsh is working to improve against left-handed pitching, though the acquisition of Hays all but closes the door on the possibility of Marsh being an everyday player this year. In 57 plate appearance against lefties in 2024, Marsh is batting .140 with 26 strikeouts.
They will need Marsh to improve in the event that he has to face a left-handed reliever late in the game.
“He’s been working at it,” Thomson said about Marsh. “He’s been getting off the machine in the cage, trying to stay in there and use the entire field. We still have to get Rojas some at bats too.”
The Phillies, even after losing seven of their last 10, are still in evaluation mode as the team is all but guaranteed a third straight postseason berth. It wouldn’t be too surprising if the Phillies conclude after 10 or so days that they are better off prioritizing defense with Marsh and Hays platooning in left and Rojas in center field on an everyday basis.
But if Hays looks the part, left field is his job to lose.
