On Tuesday night, the Philadelphia Phillies experienced a win that came with a cost. They defeated the San Diego Padres to clinch the series, but they lost outfielder Brandon Marsh to an injury.
Fortunately for the Phillies, the injury doesn’t seem severe. After the game, interim manager Don Mattingly revealed that Marsh has a sprained middle finger and is listed as day-to-day.
“It’s likely going to be a day-to-day situation,” Mattingly said. “It sounds like they expect him to be sore [Wednesday]. We’ll see how he feels. He might show up feeling great.”
Marsh got hurt in the first inning. While standing on first base, the Padres attempted a pickoff, and Marsh reached for the bag with his right hand. He wears a sliding mitt on his non-dominant left hand, but ended up injuring his finger.
Despite the injury, Marsh stayed in the game and even came to bat again, notching his second hit. However, by the fourth inning, Adolis García had replaced him in right field. After the game, Marsh seemed upbeat, joking that he’ll need to wear two sliding mitts going forward.
“I’m going to double up now,” Marsh said. “That’s the plan… Probably stick with two mitts for the rest of the season.”
Beyond Marsh and García, the Phillies have also been using rookie Justin Crawford in center field this season. Edmundo Sosa, Kyle Schwarber, Otto Kemp, and Garrett Stubbs can all play in the outfield. Although Schwarber is mostly the designated hitter, Marsh noted that the finger issue affected him more on defense than at the plate.
“I felt it more when throwing than swinging nothing terrible,” Marsh said. “But my thinking was: we’ve got the best defensive right fielder in the game, we’re up 4-0, so try not to make it worse and get ready for tomorrow or the first game in L.A.”
Brandon Marsh Has Been One of the Phillies’ Top Hitters
Brandon Marsh has been with Philadelphia since being traded from the Los Angeles Angels in 2022. He’s often been used in a platoon role, seeing limited action against left-handed pitchers.
That has changed this season, as he has emerged as one of the Phillies’ best hitters—someone they can’t afford to lose for long.
In 51 games, Marsh is batting .326 with a .356 OBP, a .481 slugging percentage, and an .836 OPS. His batting average leads the team. He has 5 home runs, 9 doubles, 2 triples, and 24 RBI. His 1.7 WAR already matches his total from last season.
The Phillies Are Desperate for Offensive Production
The 2026 season began poorly for the Phillies, leading to the firing of manager Rob Thomson. Don Mattingly took over, and the team has improved since. Still, at 28-27, they sit third in the NL East, nine games behind the Atlanta Braves, and are currently outside the playoff picture.
The main issue has been the offense. While Kyle Schwarber and Brandon Marsh are having career years, and Bryce Harper has his best OPS since 2023, the team has significant holes—especially among right-handed hitters.
Entering Tuesday’s action, the Phillies ranked 30th in batting average among right-handed-hitting outfielders at just .174. Overall, the team was hitting .202 against right-handed pitching, which ranks 28th in MLB.
Any time Marsh misses will force bench players and struggling right-handed outfielders into bigger roles. With the division race tight, the Phillies can’t afford that as they finish their series with the Padres and head to face the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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