Aug 5, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Austin Hays (9) singles in a run in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
NEW YORK— Rob Thomson said Tuesday afternoon that he told Austin Hays prior to the series that he would start against left-handed pitchers for the Mets.
The first lefty didn’t come around until Sean Manaea in Game 3. Hays got the start in left field for the Phillies and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, the second of which was particularly non-competitive in the top of the seventh inning. Bryson Stott pinch hit for him in the bottom of the ninth against righty Ryne Stanek.
So when the Phillies face another lefty tomorrow in Jose Quintana, will Thomson stick to the plan and have Hays in the lineup?
"Yeah, we gotta talk about it tonight," Thomson said after the 7-2 loss to the Mets in Game 3.
"But yeah, he looked a little rusty, a little off balance, timing was off a little bit. But we'll talk about lineup later."
Weston Wilson hit .341 in 44 at-bats against left-handed pitching during the regular season. Admittedly, it’s a small sample size. But facing elimination, there might some logic in breaking glass in case of emergency and going with Wilson over Hays in left field.
Wilson didn’t appear in either of the first two games of the NLDS. He only appeared in Game 3 on paper. Thomson sent him up to pinch hit for Johan Rojas in the top of the eighth inning with Manaea still in the game. But that forced the hand of Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, who then brought in righty Phil Maton. Thomson countered by bringing in Brandon Marsh, who struck out.
Unless Mendoza changes his starter for Game 4, though, the Phillies will likely open the game with a right-handed hitter in left field. While the Phillies believed Hays could seize the starting left fielder job when they acquired him, they felt particularly strong about him as an option against lefties. Hays did have a .941 OPS against lefties between the Baltimore Orioles and Phillies this season, but it’s probably better to take a micro view of things right now.
Rob Thomson talks about Austin Hays’ night and the possibility of someone else starting in left field for Game 4 @PhilliesNation @OnPattison pic.twitter.com/XH8ZjJLF9L
— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) October 9, 2024
Since being acquired by the Phillies in late July, Hays spent two stints on the injured list, one with a left hamstring strain and the other with a kidney infection. He didn’t play in the final two games of the season because of back soreness.
There’s no question Hays has had awful luck with health since joining the Phillies, and worked extremely hard to put himself in position to even be on the playoff roster. But it may just be right now that there’s not enough time for him to get locked in again this season.
With a full offseason, Hays may very well have the impact that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski hoped for when he traded for him next season. Right now, though, the Phillies are only guaranteed one more game. It will be interesting to see if they trust Hays to be the starting left fielder in said game.
