3 players the Phillies can’t afford to lose to injury during spring training

After Richard Lovelady's pitch hit Bryce Harper last week, the Philadelphia Phillies avoided a potential injury scare. The first baseman only suffered a bruised triceps during an at-bat versus the Toronto Blue Jays on Feb. 26. Weston Wilson's oblique injury will sideline him for multiple weeks. It's a reminder that injuries are unpredictable.

Fortunately, Harper is back in action. The native of Las Vegas, Nevada, has been the Phillies' star player since he signed with the organization as a free agent in February 2019. Which other players could the franchise least afford to lose in spring training?

3 players the Phillies can’t afford to lose to injury during spring training

Nick Castellanos

While Nick Castellanos has demonstrated his share of inconsistencies during his time with Philly, he has been durable. He has only missed five regular season games in the last two years. The Phillies lacked consistent production from the rest of their outfield group in 2024.

Philadelphia will enter the 2025 regular season with depth questions again. The loss of Wilson makes their depth thinner. Will Max Kepler be reliable offensively and avoid injuries to make him worthy of being an everyday player?

Johan Rojas and Brandon Marsh looked more suited for platoon roles based on how they did in 2024. Will either improve to force manager Rob Thomson to play them as often as a starter? What about Edmundo Sosa? He is a utility infielder but has taken reps in the outfield at Clearwater. How will he fare if he is used at the new position?

Kyle Schwarber only played five games in left field. He has also taken reps at first base this spring. Given how he transitioned to being the team's designated hitter last year, he doesn't look like anything more than a part-time outfielder at best.

The Phillies have too many questions in their outfield as it is. Losing the reliable Castellanos to an injury for a long period, especially during spring training, would be quite a loss for the position group. Philadelphia does not have another player who has proven to be a full-time starter or can avoid injuries at the outfield.

Kyle Schwarber

Schwarber has been one of the Phillies' best offensive players in his three years with the team. Despite his low .197 batting average and 215 strikeouts in 2023, he finished second with an .817 OPS. The soon-to-be 32-year-old led the club with 126 walks and 47 home runs, while his 104 RBI were second that year.

The fourth overall pick by the Chicago Cubs in the 2014 MLB Draft led the Phillies with 104 RBI and 38 home runs last year. He finished second on the team with an .851 OPS, and his 15 leadoff home runs were a MLB record.

Other than Harper, no other positional player on the Phillies possesses more value than Schwarber based on his stats. The argument could be made that he has been the team's best hitter over the last two years.

While Philly has several good hitters, losing the Middletown, Ohio, native for some time with an injury at the start of the regular season would hurt the club. He has been a spark for them leading off. If Thomson moves him out of the leadoff spot, the DH has the potential to drive in more runs, maintaining his value.

Zack Wheeler

Zack Wheeler has been one of the best starting pitchers in MLB while in Philadelphia. He has been a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award for the last few seasons. He has undoubtedly been the Phillies' best pitcher and doesn't appear to be getting worse.

Wheeler, who demonstrated injury concerns early in his career with the New York Mets, has transitioned into one of the league's most durable pitchers, making 32 starts in three of the last four regular seasons.

Losing Wheeler to an injury that would keep him out for the beginning of the regular season would test the Phillies' starting pitching depth right out of the gate. Aaron Nola, the club's ace before the addition of the former Met, is more suited to be a second starter in a rotation. He usually does fairly well but gives up a home run during most of his starts.

The Phillies do have better depth in their rotation following the acquisition of Jesús Luzardo from the Miami Marlins. If all the other starters are effective and healthy, Philly's rotation could still be solid if spot-starters/relievers Joe Ross and Taijuan Walker fill in adequately as starting pitchers while Wheeler is injured.

Wheeler makes the Phillies' rotation that much better. His NLDS Game 1 start was one of the few bright spots in a dismal series for Philadelphia versus the Mets last year. Rarely does he not have a good outing for Philly, and not every team has an elite pitcher like him.

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