Phillies' Simon Muzziotti: Officially called up

Muzziotti was called up by the Phillies as expected Friday.

The Phillies would probably prefer Muzziotti to get more development time in the minors before giving him his first call-up, but the team's hand has been forced by injuries to Odubel Herrera (oblique) and Mickey Moniak (hand). The team needed another player capable of handling center field behind Matt Vierling, who himself may fit best in a corner. Muzziotti should be able to handle the defensive side of things, but his bat may not be ready at this point. He's only played in 20 games over the last two years due to the canceled minors season in 2020 and visa troubles in 2021, with just 12 of those games coming above High-A.