By CJ Carlson
Brandon Marsh had to undergo surgery on his knee right when the offseason began, and the Philadelphia Phillies were concerned that it could hold him out for some regular season action. Luckily, it seems like he might be able to return by the time Opening Day rolls around, if everything stays the course.
It was just reported that the team is hoping to get Marsh into some type of Spring Training game this upcoming week. He’s been able to take 29 bullpen at-bats up to this point and is expected to be the designated hitter in a player development intrasquad matchup. As it states in the report, the only big checkmark left for Marsh is him actually getting into a game, running the bases, and testing his knee out with sliding.
Of course, if he’s able to get into a Spring Training game, it would mean that his rehab would continue to progress at his current speed, and he’d be able to get prepared for Opening Day. If he is unable to get out for a Spring Training game, it could point to him missing a little time to start the season. Plus, there’s always that risk that it could set him back if he tests his knee too early on in the rehab process, so Philadelphia will need to be careful with his workload.
Phillies Would Get Boost With Brandon Marsh Healthy
The team remains hopeful that everything’s going to progress as it has been. After all, the Phillies need him out there. Marsh had a great year offensively in 2023. He had an OPS+ of 127 along with career highs in RBIs with 60 of them and home runs with 12. That’s not even talking about his impact defensively either. Philadelphia is prepared to be without him in the early stages of the season if the worst-case scenario becomes a reality, but they maintain confident in him getting some Spring Training action and being ready for Opening Day.
