USATSI_18879090 — © Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia Phillies Claim Bradley Zimmer, Place Brandon Marsh on IL

The Philadelphia Phillies have claimed Bradley Zimmer off waivers to replace the injured Brandon Marsh.

Author:
Ben Silver and Lauren Amour
Aug 18, 2022 2:56 PM EDT

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Philadelphia Phillies

Bradley Zimmer was not a name the Philadelphia Phillies thought they'd be interested in barely three weeks after acquiring their center fielder of the future in Brandon Marsh.

But as some have said, "bad things happen in Philadelphia."

Zimmer is a not a hitter any club wants in their lineup, but the Phillies need him defensively. He has a career .214/.301/.337 slashline. At the very least, he's capable of drawing a walk and turning the lineup over.

This move signals the Phillies indifference to the use of Matt Vierling in center field. While he's a fast runner, his outfield play has been somewhat lacking and his first steps have not been good.

Zimmer, in about two full seasons of play at center field, has 11 defensive runs saved and nine outs above average.

Waived by the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, Zimmer was the only non-internal option available to the Phillies if they wanted a replacement for Marsh.

Marsh exited Tuesday's contest against the Cincinnati Reds in the bottom of the third inning. Trying to rob Johnathan India of a solo home run in right-center, he landed awkwardly after attempting a leaping catch at the wall.

As a result, Nick Maton came on to play left field, where he had never logged a Major League appearance, Vierling was moved to center.

Luckily, Marsh was able to walk off the field under his own power, but did leave with Phillies' athletic trainers. MRI results on his left knee revealed no structural damage—which is encouraging news—but he did suffer a bone bruise, along with a sprained ankle, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.

His IL date is retroactive to Aug. 17, so his earliest return date would be Aug. 27, though it's likely he will need more time to heal.

Although Kyle Schwarber could reportedly return to the lineup by Friday, it's undetermined whether or not he'll appear in the field right away after suffering a mild strain in his calf a week ago.

For the time being, it looks like Maton and Vierling will receive some starts in left field.

In a corresponding move, Bryce Harper was transferred to the 60-day injured list, but due to the date of his injury, that move does not preclude a late-August or September return.

Harper's last MLB game was June 25, his earliest allowed return date is now Aug. 24.