Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Sizemore relishing second chance in Philly
With Brown out, veteran has chance to shine in right field
An injury to Domonic Brown has given Grady Sizemore a opportunity to play right field and see if he can regain the productivity he had early in his career.
PHILADELPHIA » With a scant 161 games remaining to prove otherwise, the Phillies already are confronted with a truth-hurts accusation. Beyond Ryan Howard, who may not have much left himself, they have little potential for power.
That’s the narrative. But Grady Sizemore is the rightfielder. And he has hit 34 home runs in a big-league season, and over one fiveyear period of his career, he averaged 25 home runs. So … maybe? Still just 32, but his career having been fractured by complicated microfracture left-knee surgery that cost him all of the 2012 and 2013 seasons, Sizemore has surfaced as the Phillies’ right fielder, at least until a healing Achilles allows Domonic Brown to escape the disabled list.
That means it’s an opportunity for Sizemore.
And that means it’s an opportunity for Ryne Sandberg to find somebody, anybody, with a scent of majorleague clout.
“Can Grady get back to the player he used to be?” Sandberg said. “I don’t know. But from what we see, I think he’s a professional bat, a quality bat and a guy who can play some outfield for us.”
Around there, where the team president has warned against high expectations at least until 2017 and where the 2008 Reunion Tour never ends, that’s a start. And for Sizemore, that’s plenty.
A year ago, he was trying to walk on to the Red Sox, but lasted just 52 games, providing two home runs. The Phillies, with nothing to lose but 89 games every summer, snagged his rights, gave him a look in the minors, then gave him 176 plate appearances late in the season.
Sizemore hit .253 with three home runs in 60 play-out-the-string games, enough to keep the Phillies interested. So they gave him $2 million to play another year, just in case he was finally healthy enough to play back to the form that landed him in three consecutive All-Star Games.
“I started Grady of f slowly in the spring, get- ting him at-bats and letting him get his feet underneath him,” Sandberg said. “But he came along in the last week of spring training as far as playing some outfield and swinging the bat.”
Sizemore played 20 spring training games, did not hit a home run, and hit .212. But the right-field position was open, and so were the Phillies’ minds. So there Sizemore was on Opening Day, starting in the major leagues again … and going 1-for-3 with one of the three Phillies hits. A .333 hitter? “I’m just thankful for the opportunity,” he said. “I will go out there and play hard. And see what happens. I’ll do whatever the team needs me to do.”
With Brown injured, the Phillies need him to play right, though Sandberg has insisted on maintaining some options.
“He can be one of the candidates for right field,” the manager said. “Maybe there are a couple of guys who can be in right field to hold down the fort until Dom gets back.”
Jeff Francoeur has played right field in the big leagues, and he has had 10 doublefigure home-run seasons. Darin Ruf, a farm-raised power threat, has played there, too. But on Opening Day, the job belonged to Sizemore, who knows he is running low on opportunities.
At his age, and with his injury history, good health will be necessary. But he insists the knee issues that nearly cost him a career are behind.
“Yeah,” he said. “I don’t know what the norm will be, physically and healthwise. But overall everything has been feeling good and improving the more I play. So we’ll see what happens.”
Even for a team not expected to hit many, home runs might happen. If so, it would not be the first time for a right-fielder with a history and with a chance. NOTES » Off Tuesday, the Phillies will resume their series with the Boston Red Sox Wednesday night (7:05) at Citizens Bank Park. Aaron Harang will oppose right-hander Rick Porcello. The series concludes Thursday night, with David Buchanan facing right-handed Justin Masterson … Going a combined 3-for-31 in the opener, the Phillies have an .097 team batting average. Cody Asche: “If you don’t get anybody on first base, you’re not going to score many runs. So we have to start there.”