Injured Phillies catcher finally playing again goes yard.
It’s been a frustrating couple of years for former Philadelphia Phillies catching prospect Rafael Marchán. After debuting at 21 with a brief three-day cup of coffee with the big club in 2020, injuries and positional roadblocks have largely caused Marchán to become an afterthought as a new generation of top prospects has started to garner more attention in the Phillies farm system.
Injured Phillies catcher finally playing again goes yard
Recently returned to catching duties, Marchán missed all of spring training with lower back pain. The injury was deemed serious enough that the Phillies placed him on the 10-day IL on March 28. Currently on a rehab assignment at Low-A Clearwater, it’s a great sign that the former No. 5 prospect is back on the field and having early success during his game action of 2024.
In four games and 15 plate appearances with the Threshers, Marchán is hitting .273 with a 1.012 OPS, three hits, one home run, three RBI, three walks, and one stolen base. Marchán’s home run in Friday night’s contest was a moonshot hit to right field that broke a 2-2 tie in the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds Singe-A affiliate Daytona ballclub.
Rafael Marchán has much to prove this season
Still only 25, it may come as a surprise that it’s been almost four years since Marchán last appeared in a game in a Phillies uniform. A minor knee injury that caused starting catcher J.T. Realmuto to sit out a few games last week was a recent reminder of how important it is to have major league-ready catching depth available at the top levels of the minor league system. Luckily Realmuto is back in action without requiring an IL stint, and backup catcher Garrett Stubbs did a passable job in his absence.
