Rob Thomson not concerned by Whit Merrifield’s slow start

There weren’t many positives to glean from the perspective of the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday evening at Citizens Bank Park, when the team came out largely flat in a 4-1 series-ending loss to the Cincinnati Reds, which was proceeded by a three-hour-and-55-minute rain delay on one of the nastiest days in the 20+ year history of the stadium.

However, if you’re looking for a positive to take away from a loss that dropped the Phillies to 2-4 on the young season, perhaps Whit Merrifield working an 11-pitch at-bat against Reds closer Alexis Díaz and ultimately singling into center field was a silver lining on an otherwise miserable night.

“The last at-bat was Whit,” manager Rob Thomson said postgame. “Just grind and grind and grind, and then finally gets a base hit. So, that was good to see.

“There hasn’t been much yet,” Thomson continued referring to Merrifield. “But again, I have full confidence in him.”

The Phillies signed the super-utility veteran to a one-year, $8 million deal in February, a pact that includes an $8 million club option for 2025. Even including Wednesday evening’s single, Merrifield has just two hits in his first 14 at-bats this season.

While the three-time All-Star signed knowing he probably wouldn’t match the 547 at-bats he had a year ago with the Toronto Blue Jays, Merrifield has started in four of the first six games for the Phillies. Perhaps part of that is because the Phillies faced three consecutive left-handed starting pitchers at one point during their six-game homestand, but this is clearly someone they envision playing more than once a week.

But if Merrifield is going to play three or four times a week, the Phillies need him to hit. It’s great that he can play all over the diamond, and he’s already had starts at left field, second base and third base. However, when he’s in the lineup, it likely means that one of Brandon Marsh, Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm isn’t. There’s something to be said for protecting Marsh and Stott, particularly Marsh, against tough left-handed pitching, but both of them are talented young players. Bohm isn’t without his flaws, but is a tremendous hitter with runners in scoring position. For Merrifield to play three times a week right now, the Phillies have to feel like he isn’t a drastic dropoff from whoever he’s pushing out of the lineup on a given day.

Additionally, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to justify Johan Rojas being in the majors right now, even if he provides great defense. He got his first hit on a swinging bunt Wednesday night, but Rojas has looked overmatched in most of his first 15 at-bats. As Anthony SanFilippo of Crossing Broad pointed out, Rojas has yet to hit a ball out of the infield this season. If Rojas hasn’t gotten going at the plate at all by the end of April, the Phillies might have to make a decision on him, which would probably mean optioning him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Under that scenario, though, Merrifield would become even more important. He would likely get even more at-bats in left field, with Marsh and Cristian Pache left to rotate in center field. At 35, Merrifield might not be the same player who led MLB in hits in 2018 and 2019 while playing with the Kansas City Royals. But the Phillies still signed him thinking he can hit, and whether it’s three days a week or more, he’s going to have to start to show that.

And there’s confidence that like Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner and Bohm, a slow start for Merrifield at the plate isn’t something to be worried about.

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