Phillies notes: Rob Thomson on accountability, update on Aidan Miller, rotation & more
PHILADELPHIA — In the fourth inning on Sunday against the Diamondbacks, Bryce Harper tried to stretch a single into a double. The center fielder Alek Thomas fielded the ball cleanly and fired a throw to the shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, who laid his glove on the dirt, waiting for Harper to slide into it.
The Phillies first baseman put his head down and jogged quickly back to the home dugout after being tagged out.
“I feel most balls hit in that spot, I try to get there,” Harper said postgame Sunday. “Thought it was a good point in the game, haven’t really had anything going all day. Made a good throw and they got me in that situation.”
It’s part of the Harper experience. He is aggressive on the bases. Sometimes it works, sometimes it leads to an out. The crowd’s reaction, a smattering of boos, is an indication of just how often Harper has ran into outs in his eight years with the Phillies.
Is there a conversation to be had between star player and manager? “He knows,” Rob Thomson said after the game on Sunday. Thomson has repeatedly praised Harper over the years for his aggressive mindset. He doesn’t want that to go away, even if it means a few singles a year become outs. The trade-off is worth it, Thomson believes.
The Monday morning sports talk radio discussion in Philadelphia delved into the topic. It’s a layup for those in the business. Why is the manager choosing not to hold his star player accountable?
Thomson explained his thinking on why he decided against having a conversation with Harper about the play.
“One, he knows that he made a mistake,” Thomson said pregame on Monday. “All he’s trying to do is get the club going, try to score. He knows that we’re scoring in bunches, but we’re not scoring in a lot of innings. So, he’s being aggressive. He’s trying to make a play, and he knows if he’s out by that much, it’s probably a mistake. I don’t think anything needs to be said, to tell you the truth.”
Thomson also pushed back on the notion that he doesn’t hold players accountable.
“But to say that I’m not holding people accountable, that’s not right,” he said. “I’ll leave it at that.”
Injury Updates on Aidan Miller and Jonathan Bowlan
RHP Jonathan Bowlan was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right groin strain prior to Monday’s game against the Chicago Cubs. RHP Seth Johnson was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take his place on the 26-man roster. Johnson allowed five runs (three earned) in a mop-up situation in the series opener.
Thomson characterized Bowlan’s injury as “very mild.” He felt some discomfort after his outing on Sunday and tried to stretch it out on Monday. “Just kind of made it a little bit worse,” Thomson said. The Phillies are hopeful to get Bowlan back after the 15-day minimum stint is up.
Top position player prospect Aidan Miller, who is on the seven-day minor league IL with lower back soreness, has progressed to rotational exercises. Thomson clarified that Miller has not yet begun swinging a bat.
More Notes
- After pitching six innings on Monday, Cristopher Sánchez could make his next start on normal rest, Thomson said after the game. The Phillies have an off day on Thursday. They are not skipping Taijuan Walker, who will likely start on Friday against the Atlanta Braves. Sánchez, if he pitches on normal rest, will start on Saturday. Andrew Painter would be pushed back to Sunday.
- Edmundo Sosa will start at third base on Tuesday. Colin Rea was listed as the Cubs’ starter for Tuesday’s game, but Chicago will instead open with left-hander Riley Martin. “Give Bohmer the day off,” Thomson said. “I just want to get Sosa some at-bats. We’ve got (left-hander) Shota Imanaga the next day.” Alec Bohm went 1-for-4 with two RBIs in Monday’s list.