Andrew McCutchen to Miss Rest of Season for Phillies After Tearing ACL

Holding on to first place in the NL East by just a half-game over the Atlanta Braves, the Philadelphia Phillies were just dealt some season-altering news.

Outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who has given a young Phillies team the veteran moxie and consistency it needed, will miss the rest of the 2019 season following a scary knee injury he suffered on Monday night against the San Diego Padres. He tore his ACL.

In the first year of a three-year, $50 million deal, McCutchen was hitting .256 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI. He was also leading the NL in walks with 43.

A model of durability and consistency, McCutchen has played only played fewer than 145 games in a season once in his entire career, which came in his rookie year in 2009.

For someone with such an obvious love for the game and an infectious smile, this is a big blow not just for the Phillies, but for baseball as a whole.

Thought to be on the decline after being traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates, McCutchen has shown that he has a lot of gas left in the tank. Fans can only hope he comes back stronger than ever in 2020.