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Philadelphia Phillies' Brandon Marsh Returns to Batting Practice as Recovery Continues

After undergoing knee surgery in February, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh is back on the field and still hoping to be ready in time for Opening Day.
Sam Connon|
Philadelphia Phillies' Brandon Marsh Returns to Batting Practice as Recovery Continues
Philadelphia Phillies' Brandon Marsh Returns to Batting Practice as Recovery Continues

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Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh took batting practice at Spring Training on Friday morning, as shared by The Athletic's Matt Gelb.

Marsh underwent left knee arthroscopic debridement surgery on Feb. 9, at which point he was ruled out three-to-four weeks. He was filmed running on grass on Feb. 25, and now he is swinging at full speed exactly three weeks post-operation.

As was reported when Marsh first got hurt, he is still on pace to be good to go in time for Opening Day on March 28.

Marsh is entering his third full season with the Phillies, initially arriving in Philadelphia via a trade with the Los Angeles Angels midway through 2022. He immediately carved out a role for himself that fall, playing a key role in the Phillies' surprise run to the World Series.

In 163 games with the Angels, Marsh was a .239 hitter with 10 home runs, 56 RBI, 14 stolen bases, a .653 OPS and a 0.9 WAR. In 174 games with the Phillies, Marsh is a .280 hitter with 15 home runs, 75 RBI, 12 stolen bases, an .817 OPS and a 4.3 WAR.

Last season, Marsh appeared in 133 games for Philadelphia, batting .277 with 12 home runs, 60 RBI, 10 stolen bases, an .829 OPS. He ranked fifth among Phillies position players with a 3.4 WAR on the year.

Marsh, 26, is expected to be part of Philadelphia's starting outfield once again in 2024, but he could move around a bit more due to Whit Merrifield's arrival and Johan Rojas' emergence. FanGraphs' Steamer projections expect Marsh to hit .247 with 12 home runs, 55 RBI, 11 stolen bases, a .731 OPS and a 1.5 WAR across 130 appearances.

With Marsh rounding out their star-studded lineup, the Phillies are currently projected to go 85-77, per FanGraphs. The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers are the only NL clubs projected to win more regular season games.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer covering baseball for “Fastball on SI.’’ He previously covered UCLA Athletics for On SI’s All Bruins site, and is a UCLA graduate, with his work there as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for On SI’s New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Sam lives in Boston.

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