With a week of baseball in the books, the Philadelphia Phillies have seen many highs and lows during their tumultuous start to the 2024 MLB season. Overall, they came out of their first week with a 4-5 record, but things could have been worse — like their division rivals, the 3-6 New York Mets, 3-6 Washington Nationals, and the 1-9 Miami Marlins.
So far, we have seen stellar performances from unsung heroes like Spencer Turnbull, who impressed in his Phillies debut after signing just a value one-year, $2 million contract this past offseason. He held the Cincinnati Reds to zero runs on three hits, with seven strikeouts in five innings of work to help the Phillies get out of their recent series with at least a win to show for it.
Ace Zack Wheeler has also been off to a hot start, having given up only one earned run along with recording a whopping 15 strikeouts in just 12 innings pitched. However, a blown lead and a lack of run support have kept him from earning his first win of the season thus far.
In addition, on the offensive side of things, both Brandon Marsh and Kyle Schwarber have started 2024 off on the right foot. Marsh is hitting .280 with a .816 OPS, with two home runs and five RBI, while Schwarber has posted a solid .250 average and an .742 OPS, along with seven runs scored, two home runs, and five RBI. Even superstar Bryce Harper has gotten in on the act, jacking three home runs, including a grand slam, and is now hitting .290 with a .998 OPS this season.
However, many other Phillies have struggled to begin the new year, whether it has been the hitting or pitching. Fortunately for most of them, their spot on the big league team appears more or less secure, so they will have the time to work out of their funk. But for other players, their bad starts may be enough to spell them from the roster if they don’t improve enough in the coming weeks.
Here are four Phillies players who might lose their spot on the 26-man roster if their game doesn't turn into form by the time May rolls around.
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