Philadelphia Phillies: Get well soon, Mickey Moniak

The Philadelphia Phillies are a day away from the start of the 2022 MLB season and they’ve already found themselves behind the eight-ball at least somewhat due to the loss of surging center fielder Mickey Moniak.

That’s right, after being hit with a pitch on his hand in one of the team’s final spring training contests, Moniak has been diagnosed with a hairline fracture of his wrist and will miss between 4-6 weeks, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.

Unfortunate? You bet; after being called a bust earlier in his career, Moniak’s glow-up was one of the best developments of the spring and he rapidly became a fan favorite to start in center field – a move equally as popular for signaling a diminished role for Odúbel Herrera.

Could that still happen? You bet, the MLB season is long, and the Encinitas, California native could be back in June or even earlier if everything heals up well, but in the meantime, the Phills will have to turn to their bench and hope that the wealth of baseball boomers they secured over the past few years provides the team with enough offense to overcome the former first overall pick’s absence. Until then, fans have made it a point of wishing Mickey Moniak well and hoping he makes a speedy recovery for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Get well soon Mickey Moniak, the Philadelphia Phillies need you.

This time last year, Mickey Moniak was not what you would call a fan favorite.

He didn’t play particularly well in his 21 games with the big club down the stretch, had a dismal .167 OBP, and left many to wonder if his selection atop the 2016 MLB Draft was a mistake, especially as players like Ian Anderson and Cal Quantrill comparatively thrived.

But in 2022? After a prolonged, lockout-lengthened offseason? Well, Moniak looked like a completely different player. His bat was live, his defense was good enough to justify a spot in the platoon, and his home runs (six) ranked second on the team sandwiched between Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber/Rhys Hoskins, which is very good company to be in. With Adam Haseley traded to the Chicago White Sox, Moniak’s spot on the opening day roster became all but guaranteed, with a spot in the opening day lineup very much a possibility.

… well, it was, until he suffered the aforementioned wrist injury. While Moniak could still watch opening day from Citizens Bank Park’s dugout, it’ll likely be with a cast on his arm instead of a glove.

*sigh* why can’t Philly have nice things?

Ultimately, this setback isn’t going to define Mickey Moniak’s season. He’ll still take the field for the Philadelphia Phillies this summer, exceed his career at-bats multiple times over, and either prove himself a quality long-term starter, an intriguing prospect, or an even bigger question mark moving forward. Now it’ll just come a few weeks later than some expected, which is small potatoes in the framework of a baseball career.