Weeks after Brandon Marsh joined the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022, the outfielder crashed into the right-center-field wall against the Cincinnati Reds. Marsh was trying to rob Jonathan India of a home run. Suffering a sprained ankle, Marsh left the game early with the help of an athletic trainer. Four years later, the Phillies’ $5.2 million outfielder was again forced to exit a game early. During the series finale against the Houston Astros, the Phillies not only lost the game 2-1 but also saw their star outfielder leave with a foul-ball injury.

With one out and the score knotted at one, Brandon Marsh was batting at the bottom of the eighth inning. On a 0-1 pitch from the Astros righty reliever, Bryan Abreu, Marsh fouled the ball hard off himself. It ricocheted off his bat and struck Marsh’s right foot. The broadcast cameras caught him screaming in pain as he immediately fell. Talkin’ Baseball posted the disconcerting video on X.

“Brandon Marsh suffered a right foot contusion and exited the game after fouling this ball off himself,” wrote the X handle.

After he eventually stood, Marsh exited the batter’s box, limping slightly as Joe Rauch rushed to check on him. Rauch is the Phillies’ assistant athletic trainer. In the next pitch, Marsh struck out swinging.

Marsh did not return to left field in the top of the ninth. Derek Hill replaced him in the outfield after the Phillies pulled Marsh. Following his right foot contusion, Marsh underwent X-rays for further evaluation.

Brandon Marsh was forced to exit mid-game earlier in the season as well. Against the San Diego Padres on May 26, Marsh sprained his right middle finger during a pickoff attempt. It was the first frame, and Marsh was diving back to first base to end the inning. He was hitting .326 at the time.

Coming back to the present, according to Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation, interim manager Don Mattingly has confirmed that the X-rays were negative. He is currently listed as day-to-day.

“He’ll be sore, but I think he’s going to be fine,” Mattingly said about Marsh, per Phillies Nation.

As the Phillies dropped the series to the Astros, Marsh went hitless in his three at-bats. He is slashing .267/.312/.418 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs this season.

On Thursday, Marsh and his teammates offered a flashback performance of their early-season struggles.

Phillies record their highest chase rate since 2009

During the series finale against the Astros, the Phillies offense fell flat against Cristian Javier. This is the second time the Phillies and the RHP have gone head-to-head since the 2022 World Series.

On Thursday, Javier gave the Phillies a flashback to his performance in the 2022 World Series. During the 5-0 loss, Javier carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning. This time, he carried a no-hitter into the fifth before Bryson Stott hit a grounder to shortstop. It was also the Phillies’ only scoring play.

During the matchup, the Phillies’ offense managed a total of 3 hits. The lack of run support ended Zack Wheeler’s brilliant start. He went 7 innings deep, allowing 1 run on 5 hits. The Phillies’ offensive struggles from earlier in the season returned on Thursday as they swung freely.

According to MLB.com, the team “finished with a chase rate of 52.3% against a quartet of Houston pitchers. In other words, of the 65 pitches thrown out of the zone to Phillies hitters, they swung at more of them (34) than they took (31).”

It is the first time the Phillies have had a chase rate higher than 50% in a single game since it was first tracked in 2009.

“As an offense, we’ve got to be better,” Bryce Harper told MLB.com. “The last couple games, obviously, didn’t go the way we wanted them to. Just got to turn the page the best we can, and go get Atlanta.”

Harper himself went hitless in his three at-bats against the Astros. With the loss, the Braves hold a four-game lead over the Phillies in the NL East. The Cubs, on the other hand, are just one win behind the Phillies in the NL Wild Card race.

For now, Philadelphia and its fans will hope the $5.2 million outfielder can avoid a lengthy absence and return to the lineup soon.