OOTP 5/26: Phillies 4, Mets 3

The Phillies beat the Mets and retained their lead in the division, lengthening it ever so slightly.

You are happy.

You should be happy.

But you aren’t.

There were some good things happening here for the Phillies. J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run home run in the 4th inning off of Marcus Stroman that gave the Phillies the lead in the game. Jay Bruce continued his unheralded season by cracking his 17th home run and providing the necessary runs the team would need to win.

There were some downsides as well. Jake Arrieta had to leave in the third inning due to a sore right thumb, something that shouldn’t affect his making his next start. The bullpen was good in his stead except for Tommy Hunter, who almost blew the game for the team.

But go back up to the lineups again.

Who do you see missing?

That’s right - Didi Gregorius. The shortstop, who has been having a tremendous year, hitting .330/.366/.603 with 11 home runs and 35 RBI, has been placed on the injured list with a dislocated shoulder suffered two games ago and will miss the next three months of the season. It’s a huge blow to the offense, one that has been performing above expectations this season. It’s a blow to their playoff hopes since now they’re going to be missing a huge chunk of the season with Gregorius. Finally, it’s a blow to his hopes of getting a big extension from the team. Time will tell on that part, but it’s tough to give a guy another big contract when he’s had two major injuries in the last three years.

For now, Josh Harrison has been recalled to take Gregorius’s spot on the 26-man roster while Scott Kingery will fill the hole at shortstop for the time being. The Phillies are also actively looking at the trade market for a replacement for Didi, something that won’t be easy to do.

The Phillies and Mets battle again tomorrow with Zach Eflin making a very important start for his 2020 season tomorrow night.