Will Philadelphia Phillies' Harrison Bader play in Game 2 of NLDS vs. Los Angeles Dodgers?
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader exited Game 1 of the National League Division Series vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers with a groin injury, but he could be available for Game 2 on Monday night.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said on Sunday that Bader's MRI showed no major tear or strain.
"We'll know more tomorrow, but I think after the game, they stretched him out," Thomson said. "They got him moving around a little bit, and I think he felt a lot better after that. We'll know whether he's available to start or at least to pinch hit; we'll know more tomorrow."
Bader left Game 1, which later turned into a 5-3 loss, in the bottom of the sixth inning and was replaced by outfielder Nick Castellanos. With Bader out, Brandon March moved to center field, Max Kepler went to left field and Castellanos went to right field.
Later in the game, Thomson had Edmundo Sosa pinch hit for Marsh vs. Dodgers lefty Alex Vesia. He then put Weston Wilson in the game for Sosa in left field, and Kepler moved over to center with Castellanos in right field. Even though the Phillies are facing lefty Blake Snell in Game 2, Bader's injury could force Thomson to put a lefty like Marsh or Kepler in center field for defense in the outfield.
Before leaving the game, Bader made a diving catch on Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages in the top of the third inning and had a sac-fly in the bottom of the second to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead.
Bader has been a spark plug for the Phillies since he was acquired at the trade deadline. In 50 games, Bader slashed .305/.361/463 with a .824 OPS. He also hit five homers and had 16 RBIs.
If Bader were to miss Game 2 or not be available to start, it would be a significant loss, especially for the Phillies' defense.
