The season hasn't even started yet and already the Phillies are sending a player from the opening day roster to the injured list.
Outfielder Mickey Moniak suffered a fracture of his right hand during the team's final exhibition game Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Florida, multiple sources confirmed Thursday afternoon, about four hours after the Phillies announced their opening day roster.
One source said Moniak would be out six weeks.
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Moniak, 23, made his first opening day roster on the strength of a strong spring in which he hit .378 (14 for 37) with four doubles, six homers and 11 RBIs.
Moniak suffered the injury while striking out against Tampa Bay pitcher Ryan Yarbrough in the fourth inning of the Phillies' 9-2 win. Moniak, who had homered earlier in the game, was hit by the pitch as it came up and in on him but the strikeout was registered because it was ruled that he swung.
X-rays taken at the ballpark in St. Petersburg were initially negative, according to the Phillies, and Moniak was said to have a contusion. The club held an optional workout at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday. It's likely that Moniak felt discomfort in the area and went for further tests, which revealed the fracture.
MLB
With the Oakland A's sending a right-hander to the mound against the Phillies in the season opener Friday, it's quite possible that the lefty-hitting Moniak would have been the team's starter in center field on his first opening day in the majors. Now, the Phils will go with Matt Vierling.
With Odubel Herrera already on the injured list and Adam Haseley having been traded to the White Sox, the Phillies are very thin in outfield depth.
To fill Moniak's spot on the 28-man roster, the team will bring up outfielder Simon Muzziotti from the Double A Reading club. The 23-year-old Venezuelan has plenty of upside, but he's missed extensive playing time the last two years because of the Covid shutdown in 2020 and a visa/passport issue last season. He played just 20 games in the Phillies' minor league system last season and for his career has played just 12 games above the Class A level.
Muzziotti will join an outfield group that includes Vierling, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos. Vierling and Muzziotti are the only true center fielders, though Harper has played there and could potentially be used in a pinch.