Cristian Pache has had a rollercoaster ride of a season. When he was originally traded from Oakland to Philadelphia, many fans had minuscule expectations for Pache.
In his first 115 games in the majors, Pache hit just .156 with a 26 OPS+. He went 0 for 6 in his first 6 at-bats and left several runners on base, frustrating fans. His luck quickly turned around. From there, Pache hit .474 with a 1.263 OPS in 20 plate appearances.
His best moment was hitting a go-ahead home run against the Rockies. He smacked the ball over 400ft to dead centerfield.
Pache was beginning to make strides with the Phillies
The biggest change Pache made was he stopped pounding the ball into the dirt. In his first 115 games, Pache hit ground balls 53.7% of the time he put a ball in play. He hit line drives 18.5% of the time. In 2023, Pache has hit ground balls 35% of the time and line drives 35% of the time.
The rollercoaster came back down for Pache when news broke Saturday that he had a torn right meniscus. The Phillies have added him to the 10-Day IL and recalled Dalton Guthrie. He’ll undergo surgery and currently doesn’t have a timetable to return. There is hope that he’ll be back by the end of the season.
Dalton Guthrie made his major league debut in 2022, hitting .333 in his first 14 games. He started 2023 with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In 21 games, Guthrie has hit .278 with a .861 OPS.
Guthrie can play center field for the Phillies and will back up Brandon Marsh. He can also play some second base in a pinch.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Matt Slocum
