After last night’s 12-inning loss to the Cardinals, Domonic Brown made note of the fact that he hasn’t been playing every day. And he’s right–he’s had just 41 plate appearances and seven starts since July 30. He is dead last on the team with a -1.7 WAR (prior to last night’s game). He has a .613 OPS, and is hitting line drives at a lower rate than even Ben Revere.
It’s no question that he has struggled immensely this year. He’s looked horrid in the field at a new position and just as bad at the plate. The Phillies even brought in Grady Sizemore to help make up for Brown’s lack of production. Recently, we’ve been seeing Darin Ruf in left.
But that was a mistake.
Sizemore is 32, Ruf is 28, and they have no real future (Ruf might) with the ballclub. They are just stealing at-bats from Brown. Dom isn’t going to get out of this slump by sitting on the bench. He isn’t going to find his groove by pinch-hitting more often than he starts. He needs the at-bats, needs to see more playing time if the Phillies want to see any progression.
I’m not saying that his hitting and fielding slump is 100% on how he’s being managed, either. The blame goes all around. From Ruben Amaro Jr. to Ryne Sandberg, to Brown.
But unless the Phillies are ready to give up on him (and that is certainly plausible), he needs to be freed.
