As Bryce Harper finds himself back in the Phillies’ lineup on Tuesday, Kyle Schwarber finds himself back in a familiar position as well: the leadoff spot.
The shuffle moves Bryson Stott, the Phillies’ regular leadoff hitter for the past several weeks, down to No. 5.
“I bounced back and forth about a hundred times between [Schwarber] and Stotter,” manager Rob Thomson said. “We’ll go with it for now, and we’ll see how it works.”
Thomson said he ultimately liked how Stott’s contact skills, especially with runners on base, profiles in the middle of the lineup. He added that Schwarber found his most success last season in the leadoff spot, so the Phillies are going with the formula that worked for them last year.
As for Harper, who hit cleanup for the last few months of the 2022 season (often preventing him from hitting in the first inning), Thomson said his placement at No. 3 was two-fold. For starters, it’s a byproduct of his preference to alternate righties and lefties in the lineup. “And,” he added, “I want those guys getting the most at bats, when it really comes down to it.”
The ripple effects of Harper’s return also push Brandon Marsh into the No. 8 hole. At the season’s outset, that wouldn’t have sounded too noteworthy. But Marsh currently sports a .337 batting average, as well as a 1.062 OPS that leads the National League at publishing.
Thomson praised Marsh’s shorter swing, wider stance, more patient approach and cutdown on swings and misses. He added that Marsh is likely in consideration for the National League Player of the Month Award for April.
Is it an indication of the lineup’s depth to have the potential Player of the Month batting eighth?
“Yeah,” Thomson said. “It’s a pretty good lineup.”
Back to Harper. He’ll be making his return against Julio Urías, a lefty who finished third in National League Cy Young voting last season. Harper was cleared on Monday, but due to the chaotic schedule with his doctor’s appointment, he wasn’t in the lineup for the series opener.
Phillies Nation asked Thomson whether there was any thought to pushing his return back one more day to avoid that uncomfortable matchup in Game 1. Thomson said he reminded Harper that a tough lefty was toeing the rubber for the Dodgers that night.
“He said ‘That doesn’t matter to me,’” Thomson recalled. “He wants to play. He’s itching to play. He wants to get after it and help the ballclub.”
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