Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Derek Hill suffered a brutal injury in their 10-4 loss to the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Hill crashed hard into the center wall on CJ Abrams’ two-run triple in the 11th inning, then left the game after the play.
Entering the game in Hill’s place was Bryan De La Cruz. De La Cruz came into the game in left field, with Brandon Marsh moving from left field to center field.
The Phillies acquired Hill during the season in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. Philadelphia sent a couple of minor leaguers to acquire the 30-year-old, who was designated for assignment by Chicago at the time.
The idea was to add some right-handed coverage to their outfield. Hill has been the short side of the club’s platoon in center field, spelling the rookie Justin Crawford against left-handed pitchers.
He has been a solid pickup since the trade, slashing .275/.315/.522 at the plate with five home runs and a 120 OPS+ entering this game. He’s also provided value with the glove, accumulating +3 Outs Above Average in 173 innings in the outfield.
Phillies Outfielder Derek Hill Diagnosed With Shoulder Contusion
After the game, Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly provided an update on Derek Hill’s status.
“[Head trainer Paul Buchheit] called it a shoulder contusion, but evaluating everything with that play,” said Mattingly. “I thought it was ribcage at first, then it’s a little bit awry. When you hit a wall like that, it’s not too forgiving.”
Mattingly said he hasn’t seen replays of Hill’s collision with the center field wall.
The Phillies’ medical staff is likely performing a battery of tests to determine the further extent of the injury. Considering it’s an injury potentially involving the head, Hill will likely be in concussion protocol.
They’ll see how Hill looks tomorrow. In the meantime, they could take one of their 40-man outfield depth options and place him up on their taxi squad. That way there’s someone available if Hill needs to head to the injured list before the series finale against the Nationals.
Potential options the Phillies could consider include Kameron Misner, Felix Reyes, Otto Kemp, or Colby Thomas. Misner and Thomas were midseason trade pickups, the latter sneaking in right before the trade deadline expired.
Phillies Outfielder Derek Hill Exits Game vs. Nationals After Brutal Injury