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Phillies Looking For A Center Fielder
Phillies center fielder Ben Revere told reporters, including MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, he will miss six-to-eight weeks after breaking a bone in his right ankle in the first game of yesterday's doubleheader against the White Sox. Revere is scheduled to visit a foot specialist tomorrow.
"The prognosis doesn't sound too good," Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters, including Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "We'll see how long it's going to be. I think it's something that's going to take a while. If that's the case, we'll probably be looking for a center fielder if one is available or will be an upgrade on what we have with John (Mayberry) out there."
MLBTR's Steve Adams examined the trade market for center fielders recently and the cupboard is somewhat bare, which is why the Phillies could be looking in-house for a replacement. Second baseman Cesar Hernandez started to see some action in center field last week and has been assigned to Double-A to accelerate his learning curve.
"He'll play center field every day for the next 10 days or so," Amaro said. "We're going to get him extensive work down there. But he'll be playing exclusively in center field to see if that's an option for us. He struggled (Saturday), but it's a new position for him. We'll give him a shot."
Brookover notes Hernandez is an interesting option to replace Revere because the two have similar games based on their ability to run. In a brief stint with the Phillies while Chase Utley was on the disabled list earlier this season, Hernandez hit .250 (7-for-28) with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Zolecki meanwhile reports shortstop Freddy Galvis is not an option to replace Revere.
Revere's injury is the second blow to the Phillies' offense in the last week. Ryan Howard underwent knee surgery last Monday and is also set to miss the next six-to-eight weeks. Revere is hitting .347 since the end of April, which is the sixth-best mark in baseball in that span and his .380 on-base percentage is 19th out of 164 qualifying hitters.
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