Phillies in trouble with Harrison Bader’s groin tightness; will get testing done Sunday, determined to return

When Nick Castellanos pinch-hit for Harrison Bader late in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday night, there was a tumultuous wonder that trickled throughout Citizens Bank Park.

Bader was having a good game. He was hit by a pitch, drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and made an incredible sliding catch in center field.

HARRISON BADER TRACKS IT DOWN! pic.twitter.com/5UBzruABEs

— MLB (@MLB) October 4, 2025

Why in the world would Rob Thomson remove him from the game?

It was announced shortly after that the Phillies announced that Bader suffered a left hamstring strain, which was later clarified as a left groin tightness that Bader suffered when advancing to second base on a Bryson Stott single in the bottom of the fifth inning. 

Bader will have imaging done on Sunday, and the Phillies will know more then.

“Yeah, absolutely feel like I’ll be able to play,” Bader said after the Phillies’ 5-3 loss in Game 1 of the NLDS to the Dodgers. “Just running between first and second base, just kind of pulled up at second base and felt a little weird. I don’t know really what I’d attribute it to. I made a full-speed diving catch in center, and obviously felt good all day swinging and everything… put some pretty intense swings up there prior to that.”

Bader is an x-factor for the Phillies this postseason. His .824 OPS in 50 games as a Phillie was a massive reason for their hot streak in August and September. Not having him in centerfield would be a major loss for this lineup, especially with those who would be filling in his spot in the lineup — Weston Wilson, Castellanos, and Otto Kemp.

“I definitely feel like I’ll be able to come back, for sure,” Bader said with confidence. “We have an off day tomorrow. And we’ll just get some imaging done and go from there. But this is kinda the point in the season where you just empty the tank. 

“And I can assure you, I don’t know how you guys are taking my reaction to this, obviously it’s downplayed to the extent that whatever’s going on, it is what it is. But in terms of my willingness to go out there and just completely empty the tank and give every last ounce of what I’ve got for this team and for the baseball I have ahead of me, it’s absolutely something I’m going to do. So if there’s an absolute chance in hell, you better believe I’m going to be in there.” 

Thomson is scheduled to hold a Zoom availability on Monday morning, so we will probably have an answer on Bader’s status then. But for right now, it is hard to feel great about this whole situation.

Even if he is able to go out there and play, Bader’s groin is going to hinder his performance and be something that has to be managed the rest of the postseason, which is not easy as a centerfielder. 

If there is no way Bader can return this series, the Phillies would get to add another position player to the roster, but the most likely scenario would be that Brandon Marsh just starts every game in center. Marsh was pinch-hit for in the eighth inning with the bases loaded against Dodgers left-handed reliever Alex Vesia, so this obviously is not ideal.

Southpaw Blake Snell gets the start in Game 2. With a healthy Bader, Marsh would be out of the starting lineup most likely. If Bader is not good to go, Marsh will have to play all nine innings in center field.

This is trouble.

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