The Phillies placed second baseman Cesar Hernandez on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left oblique, the team announced Sunday. The move is retroactive to June 10. Hernandez sustained the injury during Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Cardinals, when he reportedly felt discomfort in his side while making a throw. He was omitted from Saturday’s starting lineup, but appears to need more than a day off to recover and will likely not rejoin the team until late June.
Hernandez, 27, is in his fifth season with the Phillies. Through Friday, he slashed .277/.336/.399 with five home runs and a .735 OPS in 58 games. This will be his first significant stint on the disabled list since 2015, when he underwent season-ending surgery for a torn UCL tendon in his thumb.
Without Hernandez, the Phillies will turn to Howie Kendrick to cover at second base. Kendrick also missed significant time with an oblique injury earlier this season after making a diving catch against the Nationals back in April. Since his return last month, he’s batting .333/.385/.556 with two home runs and a .940 OPS in 39 PA.
