Mickey Moniak will make his season debut Monday afternoon, starting in center field and hitting seventh as the Philadelphia Phillies host the San Francisco Giants on Memorial Day.
After a huge spring, Moniak was in line to be the Opening Day starter in center field before breaking his hand in his final at-bat of Spring Training. The former No. 1 overall pick — with the help of hitting coach Kevin Long — had exploded in Grapefruit League play, hitting .378 with six home runs and 11 RBIs in just 37 at-bats.
While there are high expectations for Moniak, the Phillies don’t want him to come in with the belief that he needs to save the team’s season.