Philadelphia Phillies Catch Huge Break With Star Slugger Back in Lineup

Some good news has come to the Philadelphia Phillies on the injury front as their star slugger has seemingly avoided anything substantial since he's back in the lineup on Wednesday.

Jul 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) in the dugout against the Cleveland Guardians at Citizens Bank Park / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

It's been quite the range of emotions for the Philadelphia Phillies the past two days.

On Monday, it was jubilance when Kody Clemons won the game in walk-off fashion that came after a shocking dropped home run robbery attempt by Johan Rojas in the top of the ninth inning that tied things at one.

On Tuesday, it was amazement from Kyle Schwarber's record-setting homer followed by indignation when their star outfielder Nick Castellanos was hit by a pitch that caused the benches to clear.

Both Castellanos and Bryce Harper shared what made them so angry regarding the incident, and now the Tampa Bay Rays will be without their manager Kevin Cash and reliever Edwin Uceta following the suspensions handed out by Major League Baseball.

What was lost in the pandemonium on Tuesday is that Schwarber exited the game early with an elbow injury that was suffered when he dove back to first base on a pickoff attempt.

Because the Phillies are so banged up right now, there was major concern they could be without another key piece of their lineup depending on what the test results revealed.

Thankfully, Philadelphia finally got some positive injury news as the star slugger is back in the lineup for Wednesday's finale as they go for a sweep.

Wrapping up the series#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/4wag2PPqE3

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 11, 2024

Not only is this a positive thing for the Phillies in the short-term as they try to wrap up the NL East division, but they are also firmly in a battle for the top record in the National League, holding a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers entering this contest.

Finishing atop the NL standings and securing home field advantage throughout the playoffs will be huge for Philadelphia after they have produced the best postseason winning percentage in baseball history when playing at Citizens Bank Park.

First things first is taking care of business on Wednesday before they get a day off on Thursday that precedes their huge matchup against their division rival New York Mets.