Phillies announce results on Brandon Marsh’s X-rays after 1-run loss to Astros

Brandon Marsh gave the Philadelphia Phillies a scare Thursday when a foul ball forced him out of their series finale against the Houston Astros .

The Phillies later received some encouraging news on the outfielder. X-rays on Marsh's right foot were negative after he left the 2-1 loss in the ninth inning.

Marsh fouled a pitch from Astros reliever Bryan Abreu directly off his foot during his final plate appearance. He was shaken up by the hit and did not finish the game.

The Phillies initially diagnosed Marsh with a right foot contusion. Interim manager Don Mattingly said the negative X-ray results ruled out a more serious injury, but Marsh is dealing with significant soreness.

That soreness will keep him out of Philadelphia's starting lineup Friday. The Phillies can now hope Marsh needs only a short recovery after avoiding any structural damage.

The timing is important for Philadelphia. The Phillies are trying to keep pace with the Atlanta Braves in the NL East and will begin a three-game series in Atlanta after Thursday's loss.

Marsh went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts before leaving the game. He is hitting .267 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs this season.

The outfielder has also struggled at the plate recently. That makes his availability even more important as Philadelphia enters the final stretch of the regular season.

Thursday's loss dropped the Phillies to 82-65. They now sit four games behind the Braves in the division.

The game itself was decided late. Zack Wheeler allowed one run over seven innings and struck out nine, but Philadelphia could not give him enough offense.

Cam Smith broke a 1-1 tie with a solo home run off Phillies closer Jhoan Duran in the ninth inning. The Astros held on to win the series two games to one.

For the Phillies, Marsh's negative X-rays provide some relief after an otherwise frustrating afternoon. The next step is seeing how quickly the soreness improves.

If Marsh returns soon, Philadelphia can move forward without another significant injury concern during an important stretch of the season.