RADIO
Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin benched outfielder Odubel Herrera in the middle of Sunday’s game for "pouting."
It was a few days in the making, according to Mackanin. After starting the game 0-for-2, Herrera was yanked in the fourth inning. The nail in the coffin was when Herrera threw his bat down in frustration while jogging slowly to first base on a flyout to the outfield. The 23-year-old rookie watched the Phillies go on to lose to the Atlanta Braves 2-1 from the bench.
"Boys play Little League. Men play Major League Baseball. We will not pout. We will not feel sorry for ourselves. If you want to, then you don't belong here. He had to learn a lesson," Mackanin told reporters after the game, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. "To me, he's been pouting for a few days, and I just wanted to make sure that he gets the message."
It’s been an impressive rookie season for Herrera. The lefty owns a .293 BA with 8 HR, 40 RBI and 14 SB over 460 at-bats. Philly doesn’t play until Tuesday. There’s no telling if he’ll be back in the lineup or not by then.
