Offense has hardly been a concern for the Phillies this season, in fact, quite the contrary. But after a dismal month of May, it’s safe to say fans would take any reason to get excited about the flailing franchise. Nick Maton might have just provided that shimmer of light.
After being called up from AAA yesterday, Maton got the start at second base in his season debut, batting eighth in the lineup. That wasn’t meant to be the case at first. Johan Camargo was going to be the 2B starter, but had to move to third when Alec Bohm had to fill in for Bryce Harper at the DH spot.
He hit a two-run homer in the sixth, propelling the Phillies to a much-needed win after two weeks of endless troubles.
This shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. Maton burst onto the scene at a similar time in 2021.
Maton had a line of .241/.360/.462 for Lehigh Valley before getting the call to the bigs, and he’s carried that strong run of form over to the MLB. With Jean Segura out for a couple of months, there’s a short window where Maton can make his case.
It’s unclear just how straight-forward his stint in the majors is going to be. Will Girardi opt to play Camargo as originally intended, or ride the hot hand? Where does Didi factor into all of this? There’s only one way to find out, but for now, we can enjoy a productive night at the plate from one of the brighter young players down on the farm.
The Phillies will be back in action on Friday night to kick off a three-game series against the Angels.
Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire
