Nick Piccone
One of the more promising young players on the Phillies was in the form of outfielder Aaron Altherr, who impress many as last season winded down. Today, Altherr will undergo wrist surgery that will sideline him for 4-6 months, and leave general manager Matt Klentak scrambling for a replacement.
Then, on the first play of a weekend Grapefruit League game, Altherr twisted his left wrist as he dove for a ball in right field. The damage was extensive. Altherr will undergo surgery Wednesday in Philadelphia for a torn tendon sheath, and the Phillies said he will be sidelined for four to six months.
His first full season in the majors could be over before it ever started.
“It’s disappointing, certainly, for a young player who had a lot to prove,” Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. “We were certainly excited to watch him play.”
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“We would like to fill it internally,” Klentak said. “We owe it to the guys in camp to give them that chance to fill that spot. We’ll survey the market. If there’s something out there, we’ll explore it. But we feel pretty good about the guys we have here.”
Here’s the play in which Altherr hurt his wrist.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first wrist injury Altherr’s dealt with in his career. According to Matt Gelb, Altherr hurt his wrist during Arizona Fall League play in 2013 and underwent surgery and missed spring training the next season. And last season, he had soreness in his wrist at the end of the year.
Now an opportunity arises for Tyler Goeddel, who is a Rule 5 draft pick. He used to be an infielder, so he has something in common with Cody Asche. Asche is out of action with a strained rib cage, so it’ll be interesting to see how the outfield shapes up heading into the regular season.