Recently Signed by Phillies, Logan Morrison Says ‘I Don’t Belong’ in Triple A

A potential opportunity in the big leagues opened instantly for Logan Morrison when he signed a minor-league deal with the Phillies on July 15. Jay Bruce suffered an oblique injury and was placed on the injured list two days later.

Morrison, a left-handed hitting first baseman/corner outfielder, seemed like a ready-made replacement. Though he had not played in the majors all season, Morrison had been very productive for the Yankees' Triple A affiliate, hitting .289 with 15 home runs and a .999 OPS before opting out of his deal when an opportunity never came in New York.

Morrison did not get the call to replace Bruce. Instead, the Phillies brought Nick Williams back after a Triple A hot streak of his own.

Morrison proceeded to go 5 for 12 with a homer and five RBI in his first six games with Triple A Lehigh Valley.

"In my heart of hearts, I don't belong here," Morrison told Tom Housenick of The Morning Call. "I belong in the big leagues. I've proven that over and over again. I'm not a Triple A player."

Just two seasons ago, in 2017, Morrison hit 38 home runs for the Tampa Bay Rays. What followed was a disappointing, injury-plagued season with the Twins in which he hit a career-low .186.

Morrison underwent season-ending hip surgery in 2018. He was placed on the injured list again this week with a hip injury. Had he been healthy, he may have gotten the call to replace the injured Brad Miller on the Phillies' active roster.

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Instead, Morrison will need to show the Phillies he can stay healthy. He could still help the big-league club at some point this season as a power bat off the bench, but it won't happen this week.

He says the injury is not a big deal.

"If there's some shake-up in the big leagues, I'll be ready to go," Morrison told The Morning Call. "I had a setback with the hip, but it's not a long-term thing."

It would be an understatement to say the Phillies haven't gotten much out of their pinch-hitters. Collectively, Phillies pinch-hitters rank 27th in the majors with a .180 batting average and 28th with a .565 OPS.

Their two most productive pinch-hitters have been Miller and Phil Gosselin, who is now with the IronPigs. Remove those two and the rest of their pinch-hitters have hit .144.

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