Brown returns after second throat infection
PHILADELPHIA -- Domonic Brown is still recovering from an infection in his throat, but is feeling much better after missing the past three games and grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning of Tuesday night's game against the Astros.
"All the stuff in the throat is pretty much gone, little bit of body aching, that's really about it," Brown said.
It is the second time Brown has dealt with a throat infection in the past month.
"I'm pretty sure I'm going to have my tonsils removed after the season," Brown said. "The doc was saying they were the size of a 13-year-old kid. They're supposed to get smaller as you get older. I don't know, man. I'm just trying to take it day by day, trying to get my butt back out there and play with my teammates. But it's good to be back around the guys instead of being at home."
A season after hitting .272 with 27 homers en route to an All-Star selection, Brown has taken a step back in 2014 with a .230 average and seven homers through 103 games.
Once he's fully recovered, Brown will jump back into what has become a revolving door situation in left field.
"As far as going forward, we make up lineups to get guys in there. Keep everybody sharp in at-bats," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "It's always good when somebody gets hot. Not only that, we're still looking for guys to get hot down the stretch here."
Brown went down just as he was beginning to heat up. In his last 23 games, the left-fielder is hitting .280 (21-for-75) with four doubles, two homers and 12 RBIs.
Despite his overall struggles this season, Brown has provided value when he's been in the Phillies lineup, with his team-leading .311 average (28-for-90) with runners in scoring position translating into 50 RBIs, good for fourth on the team.
With two months left in the season, Sandberg was asked whether Brown still has enough time to reestablish himself as the leading candidate to be the everyday left fielder in 2015.
"I would say that [left field] is open right now. So that would be yes," Sandberg said. "I don't think there's a solid concrete guy as far as that goes. That's why there's some rotation out there. Giving everybody opportunities. We've been doing that up to this point anyway. We'll probably continue throughout the rest of the season."
One of the players who figures to be apart of that rotation is John Mayberry Jr., who is also working his way back to the field. Mayberry has been on the DL since June 22 with left wrist inflammation.
"Mayberry did some extra hitting out here. He's going to hit in the cage off of the machine with a little bit of velocity," Sandberg said. "Then we need to get together and see the best thing for him going forward is as far as being ready to play here. Whether it's more of that to see how he reacts it, or if he needs to go play a couple of games somewhere to get ready. That's yet to be talked about."