Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Finalist Exits Marlins Game with Potential Injury

The Philadelphia Phillies saw one of their top home run hitters leave Thursday’s game early with an injury.

Jun 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park. / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

For the second time in two months, Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber left a game early with a potential injury.

On Thursday against Miami he left the game before the start of the ninth inning with what the Phillies called left groin tightness, per the Philadelphia Inquirer.

At the time the Phillies were losing, 6-4. Brandon Marsh came into the game for Schwarber, who was making a rare start in left field.

Schwarber left the game 1-for-4 with a strikeout and a .250 average for the season.

This comes with the Phillies getting Brandon Marsh back from the injured list just a few days ago. Losing Schwarber for a length of time would sap the team’s outfield depth.

In May, he left the ninth inning of a game at Miami with back soreness. In that game he went 2-for-5 and drove in two runs before he was pulled from the game. Philadelphia won that game, 8-2.

Schwarber returned three days later as a pinch-hitter against the New York Mets and was back in the starting lineup the next day.

The 31-year-old is slashing .250/.373/.447/.820 with eight doubles, 17 home runs and 49 RBI as the Phillies’ leadoff hitter.

On Thursday he was one of seven Phillies to advance to phase two voting for the National League All-Star team, which starts on Sunday. He was one of the top two vote-getters at designated hitter and will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani in fan voting for the starting job.

The last two seasons Schwarber has been one of the National League’s top power hitters in spite of a batting average that hovered around .200. He slugged 46 home runs with 94 RBI in 2022 and then followed that with 47 home runs and 104 RBI last season.