Adam Haseley just turned 23 years old in April and had spent exactly a week at Triple-A when he became a key figure for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Haseley, who was the eighth overall pick in the 2017 draft, was summoned to San Diego on Tuesday morning when the Phillies learned that center fielder Andrew McCutchen will miss the remainder of the 2019 season because he will need surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee.
The left-handed-hitting Haseley immediately moved into center for the Phillies on Tuesday with recently acquired Jay Bruce in left. And Phillies fans can expect to see a lot of Haseley moving forward.
“Adam is going to have a chance to play regularly,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said Tuesday, hours before Haseley’s major league debut. “He’s proven at the minor league level that he is ready for this.
“It’s not a finished product. There is still work to be done. But for him to develop, he needs to play up here, play regularly, and we are going to find out how regular he is.”
Kapler said it also “an opportunity for Jay Bruce to get regular reps. We think he is very well equipped to helping us win right now. Bryce (Harper) is not an option in center field.”
Bruce, who was acquired from the Phillies on Sunday from Seattle in a trade, hit two homers and drove in six runs Tuesday in his first start for the Phillies. Haseley was 0-for-4.
They could be on the field at Petco Park again Wednesday afternoon as the Phillies and Padres meet in the rubber match of their three-game series. Right-hander Jake Arrieta (5-5, 3.96 ERA) will start for the Phillies against Padres rookie right-hander Cal Quantrill (1-2, 5.14 ERA).
The Phillies are still trying to assess the loss of McCutchen, who was the National League East leader’s leadoff hitter and clubhouse leader.
“It’s really disappointing,” Kapler said of McCutchen’s injury. “Andrew has not just been a catalyst at the top of the lineup, but also in our clubhouse. He’s someone that everyone under that roof respects greatly. We look to him for guidance and support, and for that reason it was nice to hear Andrew mention he is going to stick around as much as possible.”
While Haseley will see considerable time in center, he will not be batting in the lead-off slot for the Phillies. “We have options,” Kapler said.
Meantime, the Padres also had a shuttle arriving from Triple-A on Tuesday. Quantrill was promoted from the minors for the third time this season to make Wednesday’s start. Each of his first two stints with the Padres lasted two starts.
“Cal’s done a nice job with this assignment,” said Padres manager Andy Green. “He’s mature. He’s intelligent. He knows how the game works. I don’t think it’s shocking to him. I think if you asked anybody would you rather be in San Diego all the time or yo-yoing back-and-forth, they’re all going to choose San Diego.
“But for us right now, that’s the hand that has been dealt him. Form an attitude perspective, he’s played it very well. He’s attacked his outings in the minor leagues really aggressively and done some really nice things,” Green said.
“When’s he’s been with us, he’s been improving. It’s good to have him back again. He made some adjustments in his preparation, the way he got ready in the bullpen,” Green said.
Quantrill will be facing the Phillies for the first time.
This will be Arrieta’s seventh career start against the Padres. He owns a 2-2 career record against the Padres with a 4.60 ERA and a 1.404 WHIP with 26 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings.
