The Athletic’s Meghan Montemurro reports that Phillies second baseman César Hernández played through a broken foot during most of the second half of the 2018 season, GM Matt Klentak said. The bone healed on its own, so Hernández didn’t need to undergo offseason surgery and he is expected to be at full strength for the start of spring training.
Hernández, 28, fouled a ball off of his foot on July 6 against the Pirates. To that point, he had been carrying a .268/.379/.385 batting line. After that game through the end of the regular season, he hit .236/.329/.336.
Hernández was mentioned a lot in trade rumors heading into the 2018 season. That is not the case this time around, but the Phillies have at least provided an explanation for his subpar performance, which may once again perk up trade interest. Hernández is entering his third of four years of arbitration eligibility and is expected to reprise his role as the Phillies’ full-time second baseman as the roster is presently constructed.
