Hiatus allowed McCutchen to recover at proper pace
PHILADELPHIA » As soon as Andrew McCutchen was rolled into an operating room last July, the Phillies were hit with what seemed like a sad reality: Their preferred left fielder and leadoff hitter might not be available for the entire 2020 season.
Surprise.
Not that it was how anyone expected it, and not that it really has been much of a shock given his full participation in the Phillies’ summer camp, but McCutchen did confirm Sunday that he was not going to be available had Opening Day happened on schedule. But since the first 102 games were trimmed from the season amid health concerns, McCutchen will be ready for Opening Day II … and for the 59 games that will follow.
“The time off for me was definitely a good thing,” McCutchen said Sunday at Citizens Bank Park. “I was going to open the season on the injured list. So for me, I was able to get the work in that I needed to get in and not necessarily rush through my work trying to just get back.”
Not only did the time off allow McCutchen to recover from his 2019 season season-ending left ACL surgery, but it was extensive enough to suppress any urges he may have had to put his recovery on a fast track during the early portion of the originally scheduled season.
“Ultimately, that’s more than likely what would have happened had we not had this pandemic and had the season shut down for a little bit,” McCutchen said. “So I would have been doing everything I needed to do just to pass the test to get back on the team.
“So now I was able to just really hone in on my workouts and really put in the work I needed to put in and take my time.”
McCutchen, 33, is in the second of a four-year contract with the Phillies, who could buy him out for $3 million after next season. Before he was injured last season cutting back to first base June 3, the five-time All-Star and former MVP was hitting .256 with 10 home runs. Eerily, that was in the 60th game of the season, or exactly the number of regular-season games the Phillies will play this season.
When McCutchen was injured, the Phillies were 3326 and had a one-game lead in the NL East. Including the game in which he was lost, they would go 48-55 the rest of the season.
Whether the time away from the game at his particular career stage proves troublesome will be revealed once the games begin. The Phillies have scrimmages scheduled for Saturday in Washington, Sunday at home against Baltimore and Monday in Yankee Stadium. They will open the regular season at home July 24 against the Marlins.
Though McCutchen is expected to return to his starting spot in left field and to serve as the leadoff hitter, manager Joe Girardi could elect on certain days to use him as a designated hitter, thus reducing the stress on the repaired knee.
Either way, McCutchen insists he’s ready.
“I did everything I could do and more,” McCutchen said. “So it’s just about getting the game reps and having my body get used to that again and adjusting to that and just playing.”
McCutchen was among 1,400 current and former athletes signing a letter to Congress to request an end to qualified immunity for police.
“Things outside of baseball, politics and things like that, I try to stay pretty quiet about,” he said. “But I felt that there was a need and something that needed to be done.
“I’m the type of guy who, if I say something, I want to back it up.”
McCutchen, however, said he will stop short of kneeling for the National Anthem.
“But at the same time, anyone who does that,” McCutchen said, “will have my support.”
He will lend support to causes off the field. On the field, he is anxious to support the Phillies with his bat.
“I am ready to go,” he said. “I’m excited. It’s been a while. I have never taken so much time off ever since I have been playing. I am ready to compete again. The season will be a little different. But I think a lot of people, the fans, are waiting to watch the games.”
*** Bench coach Rob Thomson has returned to the Phillies after being quarantined for and recovering from the coronavirus.
“The biggest thing I got out of it was that it is easy to get,” Thomson said. “I found out how quickly it travels. It took me more than three weeks to get rid of it. It’s how long it takes to leave your system.”
As with anyone in close contact with major league players, Thomson was required to have two negative tests before being cleared for a return.
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Any alarm bells that Girardi might have set off Saturday about starting pitcher Zach Eflin were essentially silenced by Eflin himself Sunday.
Casually dropping the day before that Eflin, projected to be the club’s fourth starter for a 60-day sprint of a season, was suffering from back spasms, Girardi set off a warning that might have moved Eflin to want to restore calm over a Sunday media video chat.
“It happened five or six days ago, doing a workout, felt some discomfort in my lower left back area,” Eflin said. “My whole back just locked up and it was kind of tough to get around. But the good thing with spasms is it could be just a couple-day thing. And right now (it’s) just day to day. I’m feeling night-and-day better than I did six days ago. It’s progressively gotten better every single day.”
Eflin said he’s been able to soft-toss through this little back setback. In fact, he says it’s not a setback at all.
“I don’t think I lost any ground, to be honest,” Eflin said. “I threw bullpens twice a week through the whole quarantine, stayed in shape and stayed ready. Already threw to hitters since I’ve been here in Philly. I’ve missed the past five days but I threw three or four days with that. So the arm is still conditioned, and everything’s feeling better.
“I don’t think it’s a setback whatsoever. Whenever my name is called I’m going to be ready to go, and throw as long as I can.”
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NOTES » Eflin will throw a bullpen session Monday and depending on how he recovers Tuesday, Girardi will make a decision going forward. Since Eflin will be the No. 4 starter, it will give him a few extra days of recovery time past the July 24 opener ... Hector Neris, who was slowed coming to camp following positive virus tests, threw some live batting practice Sunday. Girardi: “He looked pretty good considering the time he was away. His velocity was good. It’s always about consistency with Hector.” ... Aaron Nola will pitch three intrasquad innings Tuesday, Cole Irvin four, and Reggie McClain two. Victor Arano will throw a bullpen session ... Girardi has been impressed with the Phillies’ depth of left-handed pitching. He was particularly excited about Adam Morgan’s form in a Sunday intrasquad game ... Though Jean Segura played second in the intrasquad game, he remains ticketed as the everyday third baseman. Girardi was more interested in giving Neil Walker, Alec Bohm, Logan Forsythe and Josh Harrison some reps at third while Scott Kingery works toward a full return after recovering from the coronavirus.