Phillies third baseman Cody Asche was chasing down fly balls in left field during batting practice prior to Tuesday's game against the Cardinals.
“I wanted him to do it,” manager Ryne Sandberg told CSNPhilly.com. “It could be helpful down the road adding versatility.”
Asche was introduced to playing in the outfield in February before he stopped workouts to focus on getting ready to be the team's starting third baseman. However, now that his workouts in the outfield has resumed, it could be to clear a path for Philadelphia to promote third-base prospect Maikel Franco, who is off to a good start with Triple-A Lehigh Valley (.333/.371/.512/.883).
“We’re covering all bases, preparing for situations that could arise,” he said.