Didi Gregorius is back ladies and gentlemen and the timing couldn’t be better. Philadelphia has been without their starting shortstop since May 13 with an elbow injury now classified as ‘pseudogout.’ I’m not sure most doctors could explain that.
Gregorius hit .229 through 32 games, so he’ll look to turn it around as the Phillies head towards the All-Star Break. Today, he draws San Diego righty, Chris Paddack, whom he’s never faced, and bat seventh.
With the Phillies finishing June with a team BA of .248, they’ll need offense from somewhere. Gregorius could be that offense, who completed an abbreviated 2020 with an OPS of .827 and ten home runs.
In a corresponding move, the Phillies have sent Nick Maton back to AAA Lehigh Valley. Maton has stepped of late, including the first triple of his MLB career. We’ll see him again.
Meanwhile, Ronald Torreyes will likely be relegated to the bench for the foreseeable future. Torreyes has performed admirably, hitting .261 with a WAR of -0.1, just a tick under even.
For now, it’ll be nice to see Gregorius reclaiming his rightful place at short. Again, the Phillies are going to need all the help they can get because this offense has been, in a word,
Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire
