Phillies recall Weston Wilson, who could play a role in the playoffs

NEW YORK — For weeks, the Philadelphia Phillies essentially played a man short. They had acquired infielder Rodolfo Castro in a small deadline-day trade because they liked his potential against lefty pitchers. They saw upside. But Castro batted once in 24 days this month. He stayed around only because the front office wanted to preserve the right to option him to the minors in 2024.

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That prevented Weston Wilson, who had a career minor-league season at age 28, from a longer look in the majors.

“It stinks because you know the business side of things,” Wilson said Saturday. “I have options and some other people had some things where they couldn’t be optioned. So I knew that was kind of the situation. And I just had to keep my head down and keep playing.”

He did. And, once they could demote Castro without consequence this weekend, Phillies general manager Sam Fuld called Wilson. He was at the club’s complex in Florida working out with a bunch of extra players who will watch the postseason on TV while staying ready.

Now, Wilson is back in the majors. And, when the postseason begins Tuesday, there is a chance he’s in the starting lineup as the left fielder. It will require a specific matchup. But Wilson was summoned on the penultimate day of the regular season for a reason — and it wasn’t just, as Phillies manager Rob Thomson suggested, to provide more flexibility to survive the final three games against the New York Mets.

The odds of the Phillies facing the Miami Marlins in next week’s Wild Card Series have grown in recent days. Miami holds the tiebreaker over Arizona for seeding purposes. If the Marlins come to Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies will face lefty Jesús Luzardo in Game 1. Luzardo has held lefties to a .215/.264/.336 line. Miami’s bullpen features four lefties they trust in high-leverage situations.

So the Phillies are having internal debates about whether Wilson, who hit .325/.416/.609 against lefties at Triple A, fits on the roster. Brandon Marsh has not taken a plate appearance against a lefty starter since Aug. 30. The Phillies, at one point in September, envisioned Cristian Pache as a right-handed platoon partner for Marsh. But Pache’s performance has cooled this month.

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The Phillies do not have the strongest bench. It is not a unit they will rely upon in October unless there is an injury. The only two regulars the Phillies might pinch hit for are Marsh and Johan Rojas late in a game. Wilson, who signed as a minor-league free agent and relative unknown, had a 30-30 season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He might be useful depth in the right situation. He singled twice Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader and drove in a run.

The Phillies told him that, even if he’s not on the roster, he will stay with the club during October.

“Awesome,” Wilson said. “It’s great — just the possibility. I mean, whether I’m on the roster or not, just being here for the postseason is going to be an awesome experience. I definitely feel ready. So, just excited for the opportunity. I’m glad that there is a chance. I think I could help out.”

The Phillies have faced eight left-handed starters in September; the latest was in Saturday’s nightcap when José Quintana started for the Mets. Marsh was not in the lineup. Entering the doubleheader, Marsh had batted 14 times in September against a lefty. He hit .167/.286/.250 in those at-bats. The Phillies had lifted him a few times late in games earlier this month when the opposition summoned a lefty reliever.

Eighteen days ago, the Atlanta Braves dared Thomson to pinch hit for Marsh in an extra-inning game. But, instead of tapping Castro to face Brad Hand, Thomson kept Marsh in there. He struck out on four pitches.

Marsh has faced a lefty pitcher six times since. He does not have a hit.

When asked how he feels against lefties right now, Marsh said, “Great.” Why?

“Because I feel like I always bet on myself in the box,” Marsh said. “So I feel great every time.”

The Phillies were transparent last season about their intentions to platoon Marsh; he was new to the organization and still implementing adjustments suggested by hitting coach Kevin Long. The Phillies had a decent platoon partner in Matt Vierling. It made sense. But, all along, team officials insisted they acquired Marsh to be a full-time player. He received more chances against lefties this season. He is hitting .221/.315/.358 against them in 2023. It’s an improvement from last season’s .188/.226/.260 line.

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“I think it’s just more reps, to be honest,” Marsh said. “Hopefully, it just keeps continuing to go better and better every year. The more reps I get, the more comfortable I get. I feel like it’s always been just a steady grind and process to work towards that. I don’t feel like I tried to change anything. It’s just more opportunity. Seeing more and more of the back-end (bullpen) lefties this year than last year. The more I see it, hopefully, the better I can be against them.”

Marsh’s OPS against righties is almost 200 points higher than against lefties. He’s made significant strides in his game; he hit for more power while reaching base at a higher rate. He might, in the future, have more chances to play every day.

But, in a best-of-three series, the Phillies will seek the smallest of advantages. Arizona is not as flush with lefty pitches as Miami is. Even if Marsh starts, the Phillies might like the idea of Wilson as a pinch hitter against a lefty reliever.

Pache profiled as that potential solution. Maybe he still is. But, since returning Sept. 3 from the injured list, Pache has hit .071/.235/.143 in 34 plate appearances. Rojas seized the job in center field. That could endanger Pache’s spot on the initial postseason roster.

But Pache can run and defend, so it’s possible that Wilson replaces lefty-hitting Jake Cave on the initial roster — especially if the Marlins are the opponent. Cave has hit .146/.222/.171 in 45 plate appearances this month. Teams can alter their rosters for every new round. Whatever the Phillies do for the Wild Card Series is subject to change should they advance.

Wilson is a natural infielder who does not have much experience in left field. That might give the Phillies pause. They will prioritize defense with Rojas in center, so perhaps they are comfortable with Wilson in left. Marsh could enter for defense.

This is all part of the roster debates. Wilson, who turned 29 this month, is just happy someone has noticed.

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“I gained confidence in what I was doing at the plate,” Wilson said. “Believing in the moves I’m making and being on time for the fastball is going to allow me to have success. It was very simple.”

(Top photo of Weston Wilson: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)

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