After nearing an almost two-month absence, shortstop Didi Gregorius returns to the Phillies lineup Friday night against the San Diego Padres in the seventh spot behind Rhys Hoskins.
Gregorius had been dealing with pseudogout in his right elbow and hasn’t been in action since May 12.
There was optimism that the slugging middle infielder could return to the Phillies lineup earlier this month when the swelling began to diminish. However, in his first rehab outing, the arm flared up once more, delaying the recovery process.
In his absence, Ronald Torreyes has filled in at shortstop for the majority of the time. While Torreyes’s glove may have been upgrade on the defensive side, the Phillies surely miss the left-handed power bat Gregorius provides.
Friday’s game against San Diego will mark the first time since May 8 the Phillies have started all eight of their regular position players at the same time.
To make room for Gregorius on the active roster, the Phillies optioned infielder Nick Maton to Triple-A.