Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips was forced out of Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after fouling a ball off of his leg in the bottom of the fifth inning.
According to FoxSports.com senior baseball writer Ken Rosenthal on Twitter, Phillips, who hopes to be ready to go for the postseason on Tuesday, is having trouble walking, despite the fact that X-rays on the leg came back negative:
#Reds’ @DatDudeBP tells me X-rays on leg negative, but can’t walk on it right now. Says he will do everything possible to play Tuesday.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) September 28, 2013
Losing Phillips for the final game of the regular season will have little impact on the Reds, who have already clinched a wild-card berth in the National League. Unfortunately, the three-time All-Star will only have a few days to recover before Tuesday’s winner-take-all Wild Card Game against the rival Pittsburgh Pirates.
If Phillips can’t suit up, 23-year-old Henry Rodriguez or shortstop Cesar Izturis could see some action at second base. Rodriguez is the only other second baseman on Cincinnati’s roster, and he has appeared in just eight games in 2013. The 33-year-old Izturis has played in over 60 games for the Reds this season.
The 32-year-old Phillips is batting .259 this season with an on-base percentage of .308 and a slugging percentage of .395. He also has 18 homers to go along with a career-high 102 RBI. Only right fielder Jay Bruce has more RBI among Reds players this season.
Phillips is currently in his eighth season with the Reds; he’s helped the team reach the postseason twice, including last season. The veteran has been a clutch performer for Cincinnati in eight career playoff games, batting .361 with two home runs and eight RBI.
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