Adonis Medina among 7 Phillies spring training roster cuts

With less than 20 days remaining until Opening Day, the Philadelphia Phillies made their first roster cuts of 2021 spring training ahead of their Saturday matinee opposite the Detroit Tigers.

The Phillies optioned seven players to minor-league camp, according to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. Six of the seven cuts were prospects ranked on the team’s recently released top 30 list.

The Phillies optioned seven players to minor-league camp on Saturday.

• Left-handed pitchers: Kyle Dohy (No. 27-ranked prospect), Bailey Falter, Damon Jones (14)
• Right-handed pitchers: Mauricio Llovera (18), Adonis Medina (11), Francisco Morales (4)
• Outfielder: Simon Muzziotti (10)

Dohy had not made it into a game, but hopes to build upon his strong 2019 Double-A performance when he recorded a 0.82 ERA through 11 innings. Advancing to Triple-A that year, the now-24-year-old struggled with a 6.19 ERA across 56 2/3 frames.

Falter, 23, allowed three hits, one walk, and a pair of runs — including a home run — in his lone spring outing on March 2. He recorded two strikeouts in the frame. Jones, 26, yielded no earned runs, three hits, and four walks through three appearances. He struck out three batters in his final outing, home against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.

Llovera, 24, did not appear in a spring game due to visa issues. The right-hander debuted in 2020, but struggled mightily. Spanning just one inning pitched and 10 batters faced, he allowed five hits, four runs (all earned), and one walk. During the 2019 season at Double-A Reading, Llovera went 3-4 with a 4.55 ERA, 1.347 WHIP, and 72-28 strikeouts-to-walks ratio across 65 1/3 innings.

Medina — once deemed the second-best Phillies pitching prospect behind Sixto Sanchez, who was dealt to the Miami Marlins for J.T. Realmuto — is among the recognizable names of the group.  The right-hander made one relief appearance and start each, allowing no runs nor walks and just one hit.

Morales, 21, is the highest-ranked Phillies prospect among the seven cut, although he did not appear in a spring game. During the 2019 season with the Lakewood BlueClaws, Morales posted a 3.82 ERA, and impressed with 129 strikeouts through just 96 2/3 innings.

Muzziotti, 22, did not receive a plate appearance in a game this spring. While with the Clearwater Threshers in 2019, he slashed .287/.337/.372 with 21 doubles, three triples and home runs each, and 28 RBI across 110 games and 465 plate appearances.