SAN FRANCISCO _ About Jay Bruce's grand return to the Phillies' lineup ...
Not so fast.
One game after being reinstated from the injured list, Bruce is headed right back, this time with a flexor strain in his left arm. The decision to put the veteran left fielder back on the shelf was made Friday after he underwent an MRI exam.
The Phillies undid their move from one day earlier and recalled rookie outfielder Adam Haseley, who had been optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday to open a roster spot for Bruce. Haseley, who had not yet left the Bay Area, is in the lineup Friday night against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.
Bruce was injured in a throw from left field on Mike Yastrzemski's double in the third inning Thursday night. He went 0 for 3 with a strikeout in a 5-0 loss to the Giants.
Bruce had been out since July 17 because of a strained ribcage muscle in his right side, an injury that was sustained on a swing one batter earlier. Acquired from the Seattle Mariners in a June 2 trade, Bruce is batting .250 with a .266 on-base percentage, .533 slugging percentage, six doubles, 10 homers, three walks and 22 strikeouts in 120 at-bats for the Phillies.
With the team in an offensive funk, manager Gabe Kapler had been excited to reinsert Bruce's left-handed bat into the middle of the order. He will be down from throwing for two weeks.
Haseley had been one of the Phillies' hottest hitters over the last two weeks, which caused some eyebrows to be raised over his demotion. He has 14 hits in his last 40 at-bats (.350) and is 23 for 84 (.274) with a .315 on-base percentage and three home runs overall in two call-ups since being rushed to the big leagues in June to help replace injured left fielder Andrew McCutchen and suspended center fielder Odubel Herrera.
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