The Philadelphia Phillies have struggled out of the All-Star break, with their offensive and bullpen troubles being more apparent than ever.
Coming off two straight series losses against the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals, the Phillies will travel to Iowa on Thursday to compete in the "Field of Dreams" game against the Minnesota Twins.
Before the game on Thursday, the Phillies announced an injury update on their backup catcher, Rafael Marchán.
Marchán has been out for the Phillies and on the 10-day injured list since July 23 with left knee patellar tendinitis.
It looks like the 27-year-old backup will be returning to the team soon, as he will will begin a rehab assignment Thursday night with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Marchán provides excellent defense behind the plate for the Phillies with a Fielding Run Value of six according to Baseball Savant.
However, Marchán will not help the Phillies boost their offense, especially in the catching position behind a struggling J.T. Realmuto.
On the season, Marchán is slashing .102/.141/.170, a .311 OPS, with two home runs, six RBI and nine hits in 32 games played.
Filling in as the backup currently is Garrett Stubbs, who while may not be an upgrade on defense or offense, he is a great player to use in a pinch-run situation.
The Phillies may have to decide who their backup to Realmuto will be following Marchán's rehab.
