Harrison Bader is the newest Phillie. (Grace Del Pizzo/On Pattison)
The Phillies' starting outfield of Nick Castellanos (right field), Brandon Marsh (center field) and Max Kepler (left field) doesn't look any different against a right-handed starter on Aug. 1 than it did prior to the trade deadline.
Light it up! The Phils are in their City Connects!
🆚: Detroit Tigers
🏟: Citizens Bank Park
⏰: 6:45 PM EST
📺: NBC Sports Philadelphia
📻: 94.1 WIP
📸: Madeline Ressler // Phillies Nation pic.twitter.com/NrmhHsZek8
— Phillies Nation (@PhilliesNation) August 1, 2025
Harrison Bader — acquired from the Minnesota Twins Thursday — is with the Phillies and active for Friday night's game against the Detroit Tigers. Bader, who will wear No. 2, isn't in the starting lineup against righty Jack Flaherty for his first night with the Phillies, though.
Manager Rob Thomson explained the role he envisions Bader in.
"Well, right now ... it depends on Baltimore's starter the first game, but it's set up right, left, right, left, right, left for the next six days," Thomson said. "So for the next six days, it looks sort of like a true platoon. And then once we get to that point, we'll figure it out."
That means that Friday with righty Jack Flaherty on the the mound for the Tigers, Kepler is in left field and Brandon Marsh is in center field.
When reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, a lefty, pitches for Detroit Saturday, there's a good chance Bader will be in center field and either Otto Kemp or Weston Wilson will play left field. The Phillies optioned Johan Rojas to Triple-A Lehigh Valley Friday to make room for Bader on the 26-man roster, so he's no longer a right-handed option for Thomson.
For his part, Bader — a veteran of nine MLB seasons — did a masterful job of dancing around the question of what he expects his role to be.
"Probably gonna play some outfield," Bader said with a smile.
What are the Phillies getting in Jhoan Duran? Harrison Bader explained to @TimKellySports. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/US2oKKFu0u
But does he expect to play every day?
"I think Topper constructs the lineup the way he does," Bader said. "But my intention is to go out there and play my brand of baseball, be myself. It's really the only thing I know how to do, both on and off the field. So I'm just gonna help this team win.
"Like we all know, I've kind of been injected into a playoff race," Bader added. "All the notions of ego or 'me, me and my playing time,' they all go out the window. I'm here to win. I'm here to help this team win. And I want a shot at the World Series. But it's an everyday effort. We got a lot of baseball left. So I'm just excited to dive into it and see how it all shakes out."
That answer was a public relations manager's dream. The reality, though, is that while Phillies fans may have wanted president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to aim higher, Bader is arguably now their best overall outfielder. He has almost identical OPS marks against lefties (.774) and righties (.779) this year. So it's surprising that he's not necessarily going to be playing every day right now.
It would be one thing if top prospect Justin Crawford had been called up and Marsh and Bader were being platooned either in center or left field. But for Bader to be on the bench with Kepler still in the lineup doesn't seem to make much sense.
Kepler does have 11 home runs, but is hitting just .203 with a .655 OPS. He's been a massive disappointment at the plate after the Phillies signed him to a one-year/$10 million deal in free agency. There was a real thought that he wouldn't be with the team after the trade deadline. Not only is he, but he's in the starting lineup, and seemingly will be in half the games during this homestand.
So how important is this stretch for Kepler to get his season back on track?
"Well, I mean, he's been swinging the bat a lot better," Thomson said of Kepler. "He hasn't had many numbers because he's hitting the ball right at people. But he's barreling up a lot of balls ... good at-bats."
For what it's worth, Kepler hit .196 with a .580 OPS in July. In nine games since the All-Star Break, Kepler has hit .152. There's just not a ton of evidence that the 32-year-old is coming around.
What gives the Phillies faith that Kepler's fortunes are going to change?
"He's swinging the bat well now," Thomson said. "Like I said, there's not much to show for it, but he's barreling a lot of balls up. He's playing really good defense."
Kepler does have two defensive runs saved in left field this season, and the eye test tells you that he's done a nice job adjusting from spending most of his career in right field.
But while there are individual swings you can point to with Kepler that have looked good this season, but they have been the exception, not the rule. Regardless of what's said publicly, the Phillies know that.
And whether it's this homestand, 10 days or two weeks, the clock is ticking on Kepler because Bader is capable of playing against right-handed pitchers, and Crawford could join the team in the not-so-distant future.
