This Indefinite Hiatus May Actually Be Good for the Phillies
When the news came down on March 12th that Major League Baseball – and pretty much every other sport in America – was suspending operations indefinitely due to the coronavirus, it came as quite the blow.
Here we were just a few weeks away from Opening Day, only to have the rug pulled out from beneath us, wondering when baseball would be back.
As the country continues to grapple with the crisis – and there don’t appear to be any signs of it slowing down – the date for Opening Day keeps getting pushed back. A lot of insiders think anytime before July is optimistic at this point, especially considering the players will need time to ramp their activities back up, in what would effectively be a second Spring Training.
And while what the sports world is doing to combat the virus and help with the social distancing is one hundred percent the right call, there’s no denying that it’s devastating to all the fans who were anxiously awaiting the start of the regular season.
Is there a silver lining in all of this for the Phillies?
The answer is yes.
Andrew McCutchen, who is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season, was not going to be ready for Opening Day. The Phillies front office was hopeful that he’d be ready by mid-April. When the season returns, whenever that may be, he’ll be ready. Why is that so important for the Phillies?
Cutch was the catalyst for the ball club last year. Hitting leadoff, he set the tempo for the whole team. It’s not really a surprise that when he was healthy, the Phillies were in first place. After he got injured, their slide started. Is Cutch the sole reason for that? No. But having him healthy to start the season, even if it’s an abbreviated one, and do what he did last year leading off, can only be positive for the Phillies.
Then there are the two pitchers who the Phillies are relying on this year who have their own injury concerns, Jake Arrieta and Seranthony Dominguez.
Jake Arrieta
Arrieta was slotted in as the number three starter behind Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler. He wasn’t healthy for a lot of last season, and coming into a make or break year with the Phillies, it was exciting to think what a fully healthy Arrieta could do. As luck would have it, he left his Spring Training game last week with shoulder stiffness. He said it’s not a big deal, but that’s never a good sign. This extended break could be just the thing he needs to recover.
The Phillies need him to play better than his first two years with the team if they have any hope of making the playoffs.
Seranthony Dominguez
Then there’s Seranthony. The hard-throwing righty figures to be one of the most important arms in the bullpen this season. He missed most of last year with an elbow injury that thankfully did not require surgery to repair. But last week in camp, Dominguez suffered a setback, the severity of which has yet to be disclosed.
If it’s bad and he needs Tommy John surgery, his 2020 season is done, no matter how long this hiatus lasts. But if it’s something he can rehab, this little break will afford him the opportunity to not miss many games.
Tommy Hunter and Victor Arano are in the same boat, and a little time off for them will let them heal further and be key contributors in the bullpen.
While the indefinite suspension of baseball operations is an upsetting thing, we need to look at the good this can bring.
After all, the world needs some positivity, maybe now more than ever.
Featured Image: @USATODAY
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Categorized:Phillies