Questions about Harrison Bader‘s availability for Game 2 started the second that Nick Castellanos pinch-hit for him in the bottom of the 7th on Saturday night. Initially, the diagnosis was a hamstring problem, but it was later announced as a groin strain. Bader had imaging done on the injury on Sunday and it showed that the injury is “mild” and that it likely won’t require time on the IL.

According to Rob Thomson, the injury is not bad, but definitely limits Bader’s abilities. “I don’t think it’s that bad, it’s very mild. But it is affecting how fast he can run. It affects his defense.”

That sets up a scenario where Bader is not in the lineup but could potentially pinch-hit, if needed. He would need someone to play defensively for him though, and attempting to run out a groundball could risk aggravating the injury. In a perfect world, the Phillies won’t need to call on Bader and hope for a Kirk Gibson-type of moment.

The injury apparently started to bother Bader earlier in Saturday night’s game, but eventually worsened to the point where he went to Thomson and said that he could not continue, leading to Castellanos pinch-hitting for him. Initially, it was thought the injury could have come from being hit by a pitch, but Bader confirmed that he first felt it running to second when Bryson Stott singled after Bader was hit by the pitch in the fifth inning. It’s possible that Bader suffered the injury initially when he made a diving catch on a ball hit by Andy Pages in the top of the fifth. The play may have saved a run with the Dodgers having a runner on first and nobody out at the time.

Facing lefty Blake Snell Monday night in Game 2, Thomson has set Otto Kemp in left field, Brandon Marsh in center, and Castellanos in right. As normal against a lefty, Edmundo Sosa is playing second base over Stott. Jesus Luzardo gets the start for the Phillies. While Marsh hit .280 on the season, he hit just .197 versus left-handed pitching, although he has hit lefties better late in the season. Marsh started in left on Saturday and went 1-for-3 against Shohei Ohtani.