PHILADELPHIA – Phillies outfielder Adam Haseley is OK after leaving Thursday’s season opener against the Braves because of tightness in his left hamstring.

He could play Saturday and he is expected to start Sunday.

Phillies manager Joe Girardi said Haseley’s hamstring tested “really well” on Friday. In fact, as a result, Haseley did not receive an MRI exam. Haseley missed much of Spring Training after he strained his left adductor on March 4. He returned for the final week of camp and made the team over Odúbel Herrera, who opened the season at the team’s alternate training site in Allentown, Pa.

Haseley and Roman Quinn are the Phillies’ center fielders. Girardi started the left-handed-hitting Haseley on Opening Day over Quinn, who is a switch-hitter, against Braves left-hander Max Fried. It is not an indication, however, that Haseley will be the everyday center fielder.

“There’s no exact science to it,” Girardi said when asked how he plans to play the two. “Hase, when I’m giving him days off, a lot of times it’s going to be against left-handers. If Q has some good days or one of them gets hot, I’ll play him. But, obviously, I probably would’ve played Haseley today had he not went through that, but I wouldn’t have run him out there four or five days in a row, just because he hasn’t played a lot. But I thought his at-bats were good the other day. Q contributed the other day. So they’re both going to have to help out. But there is no exact [plan for] how I’m going to do it.”

deGrom faces the Phillies regardless
The Mets and Nationals had this weekend’s series at Nationals Park postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests. The Mets will keep their starting rotation in order, meaning right-hander Jacob deGrom will pitch on Monday night, when New York plays its first game of the season against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

If the Mets and Nationals had played as scheduled, the Mets would have pitched right-hander Taijuan Walker on Monday, deGrom on Tuesday and left-hander Joey Lucchesi or an opener on Wednesday. Instead, it will be deGrom on Monday, right-hander Marcus Stroman on Tuesday and left-hander David Peterson on Wednesday.

Teams were informed on Monday that MLB and the MLBPA have agreed to relax certain health and safety protocols contained in the 2021 Operations Manual for fully vaccinated Tier 1 Individuals and for clubs where 85 percent of their Tier 1 Individuals are fully vaccinated. As part of that memo, players and staff were again strongly encouraged to receive one of the approved COVID-19 vaccines when eligible.

Players and coaches are Tier 1 individuals. Girardi said he isn’t sure where the Phillies are in terms of vaccinations.

“I think everyone is looking forward to getting to that point just so it can be normal,” Girardi said.

So far, bullpen on point
It is just two games, but the Phillies bullpen sure looks different in 2021. Archie Bradley and Héctor Neris did not allow a hit in two scoreless innings in Saturday’s 4-0 victory over the Braves.

Bradley struck out one. Neris struck out the side. The Phillies’ bullpen has pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in the season’s first two games. The Phillies’ bullpen last season had back-to-back scoreless games just once: Sept. 1-2. It also had a 7.06 ERA, the highest bullpen ERA in baseball in 90 years.

“We in the dugout can feel the confidence from the guys coming into the game from the bullpen,” Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins said. “They’re attacking hitters right away and that is noticeable in the field, in the dugout, wherever it is. When guys come out and show their stuff right away and attack guys, it doesn't feel the way that it has in the past. I’m excited for them. We haven’t seen everybody, but the guys that we have seen have been pretty electric so far.”

Extra bases
• Girardi is a fan of the automatic runner on second base in extra innings. “Fans are more apt to stay tuned knowing that something is going to happen probably fairly quickly,” he said. “I think that’s great for baseball. The fact that it doesn’t really disrupt your bullpen, it allows you to play your stars more, because you get an 18-inning game you might have to give a guy a day off the next day, I think it keeps the fans interested. I think it’s a win on all sides.”

• J.T. Realmuto is healthy, but because he missed much of Spring Training recovering from a fractured right thumb, the Phillies will be cognizant of how many times they play him during the first few weeks of the season. Realmuto started Saturday, and Andrew Knapp could start Sunday as he has a strong rapport with right-hander Zach Eflin.