NEW YORK _ The Phillies played baseball Monday for 3 hours, 18 minutes and most of it was futile. That is September for a team on pace to lose 100 games. They crave the moment when Rhys Hoskins can bat in the middle of a lineup with Odubel Herrera, Aaron Altherr _ and, yes, J.P. Crawford _ around him.
That day is closer.
Hoskins returned to the lineup in Monday's 11-7 loss to the Mets after missing a game with a bruised right hand. Herrera will play Tuesday. And Crawford, the organization's top prospect, will join the Phillies for his debut.
The Phillies will use September as a proving ground for their young collection of position-player prospects. The pitching, for now, is behind. That will produce days like Monday, when the Phillies trailed by 10 runs after the fourth inning. The challenge for Pete Mackanin is less about wins and losses. Instead, the manager must decide how to balance playing time.
The lineup puzzle gains some intrigue when Crawford and Altherr enter the equation.
"Herrera is going to be playing center field, hopefully, every day for the rest of the season," Mackanin said. "So that leaves the corners. (Nick) Williams has done outstanding. Hoskins is going to play as much as I can (play him). And Tommy Joseph is still leading our team in home runs and RBIs so I don't want to just pass him by. So that's going to be the biggest issue."
The other dilemma is Freddy Galvis, who attended a brief meeting in Mackanin's office prior to Monday's game. The Phillies intend to play Galvis all 162 games, but they will not all be at shortstop. Crawford may not play every day. The Phillies want to test him for a few weeks. His promotion doubles as a bonus for the shortstop's impressive second half that salvaged a disappointing first three months. He could see time at third base or second base.
For the team with baseball's worst record, it is not the worst problem to have.
Triple-A Lehigh Valley won their final six games, including Monday's season finale, to sneak into the International League postseason. Rather than keep Crawford there, the Phillies will reward him with a taste of big-league life.
Crawford, 22, clubbed a two-run homer Monday in Lehigh Valley's must-win season finale. He finished with a .243 batting average, a .350 on-base percentage and .405 slugging percentage there this season. His 15 homers marked a career high, but there are doubts outside the Phillies organization about how Crawford's approach will translate to the majors.
It will be difficult to match the vibes that Hoskins has provided in the nascent stages of his big-league career. He has added a dash of interest to these meaningless, late-season games. That he missed one game with a bruised hand spawned some worry and consternation among those still paying attention. He has been that captivating.
The rookie has stepped to the plate 105 times in his big-league career. He has reached a full count 24 times. He saw 35 pitches in his five plate appearances Monday. Hoskins hit a fly ball to deep right field for the game's final out. Just weeks into his career, Hoskins is an imposing presence.
"He was OK," Mackanin said.
The same cannot be said for much of the Phillies' current pitching corps. Mark Leiter Jr., given a chance to start every fifth day, allowed nine runs (eight earned) in 31/3 innings against a depleted Mets lineup. There will be better days than this.
Herrera and Altherr will be needed for them. The two outfielders, the Phillies' two most productive hitters in 2017, have been sidelined by hamstring injuries. Altherr could be absent for a longer period. They were both activated Monday even though they were not available to start because the minor-league season ended. There was nowhere else for them to go.
Altherr said he was "definitely close" to returning, but he did not know what was planned. He has to pass a base-running drill before he plays. He has not faced live pitching since Aug. 4.
"I mean, it'll take me a few at-bats, but it'll be all right," Altherr said. "It usually doesn't take me too long to get used to timing again."
The team's training staff requested that Herrera sit Monday. He pinch-hit in the ninth inning and slashed a run-scoring single to right on the ninth pitch of his at-bat. It extended his hitting streak, started before the long absence, to 18 games.
He did not enjoy his first stint on the disabled list.
"I'm actually very thankful I've been able to play every day because it's frustrating to be on the bench all the time," Herrera said through a team interpreter. "I think I took advantage of it. I learned from the game. I tried to support my teammates, but it gets boring sometimes."
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