After a rough six-game road trip against the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals, the Philadelphia Phillies returned to Citizens Bank Park to kick off a four-game series with the San Francisco Giants.

Ahead of the game, the Phillies made a notable lineup change, benching Brandon Marsh in favor of Johan Rojas in center field. Marsh has been in a deep slump offensively this season, batting just .108 with a .250 on-base percentage and a .189 slugging percentage. His only home run and four RBIs offer little consolation, as he hasn’t registered any other extra-base hits and is currently mired in a 0-for-26 skid.

Manager Rob Thomson addressed the move, saying Marsh is putting too much pressure on himself.

“He’s thinking about it a lot right now, and everyone hits a rough patch at some point,” Thomson told reporters via Brooke Destra of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I figured it might help to give him a day or two off to just take a step back.”

Thomson added that Marsh feels he’s letting the team down, which is only adding to the weight he’s carrying at the plate. Following Sunday’s 7-0 shutout loss to the Cardinals, Marsh echoed that sentiment, saying he’s frustrated with not contributing more.

Although Marsh’s performance has fallen short of his Spring Training and early 2024 form, he’s not alone in his struggles. Alec Bohm, Max Kepler, J.T. Realmuto, and Trea Turner have all had issues producing at the plate.

Still, if the Phillies are serious about contending this season, they’ll need Marsh to turn things around. Right now, the bottom of their lineup is essentially a dead zone, which won’t be sustainable if they want to make a deep run.

The good news? The baseball season is long, and slumps can turn around quickly. While the current offensive woes are frustrating, especially for fans, there’s still plenty of time to get back on track — though the urgency to improve is certainly growing.