Phillies outfielder Domonic Brown’s spring wasn’t what fans were expecting after he was seemingly the guy to beat for the right field job.
Brown went just 1 for 16 with nine strikeouts and no extra base hits before a broken hand ended his spring prematurely.
Brown had surgery on his broken right hand Tuesday in Philadelphia and is expected to miss four to six weeks.
"Normal return on a hamate excision is about four to six weeks," Phillies head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan said on MLB.com. "That return means back to playing full out in four to six weeks. The biggest issue he's facing is how sensitive is the scar and how does he tolerate those kinds of progressions."
Brown broke a bone while fouling off a pitch in a game Sunday. Phillies head team trainer Scott Sheridan says Brown will be back at camp in Florida on Wednesday to begin a rehabilitation program.
The 23-year-old Brown is a top prospect in the majors. Minus him, the NL East champions could rely on Ben Francisco to play right field.
Brown’s status now is clear -- the same can’t be said about Chase Utley.
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The Phillies didn’t provide a medical update on the second baseman. The five-time All-Star has been out of the lineup this spring with right knee tendinitis.
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