Rise and Phight: 5/31/2022

Lost in all the bad vibes surrounding the team is the fact that Mickey Moniak is back with the team after his injury rehab was complete. Joe Girardi says he’ll play “a lot”, but his track record with younger players suggests that that is a fallacy.

Moniak isn’t going to be the savior in center field or in the slumping lineup. All he needs to do to be productive is play a competent defense and hit like he did in spring training. Easy, right?

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• You have at least be impressed with Nick Castellanos’s ability to destroy serious moments in a baseball broadcast.
• The Phillies may have spent real money on their big league roster, but they’re still scrimping with their minor league system ($).
• If multiple players have family members telling them that they don’t look like they’re having fun on the field, doesn’t that mean there is an issue with the clubhouse?
• The team’s plan to simply ignore team defense doesn’t look like it is working thus far into the season.

MLB news:

• The only comment we’ll make on this: it’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of.
• As more and more stars end up injured, Freddie Freeman just keeps plugging along, playing virtually every single day.
• Gabe Kapler has decided to skip standing for the national anthem until he “feels better about the direction of the country.”
• Dallas Keuchel has been placed on release waivers by the Chicago White Sox.