Former Phillies draft pick comes full circle after call-up to bullpen

This past Saturday, the Philadelphia Phillies made a roster move that sent pitcher Tyler Phillips to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In a corresponding move, the Phillies brought up another Tyler, left-hander Tyler Gilbert, to take Phillips' spot on the big league roster.

It may have seemed to be just a minor move to get in an extra arm for the bullpen as the Phillies prepare for the return of Ranger Suárez later this week. But for the 30-year-old Gilbert, it has been a long time coming as things have finally come full circle in fulfilling his dreams of playing for Philadelphia.

Former Phillies draft pick Tyler Gilbert comes full circle after call-up to bullpen

It was almost nine years ago when the Phillies selected Gilbert in the sixth round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of the University of Southern California. From there, he made steady progress in their minor league system, moving up one level per season while maintaining a solid sub-4.00 ERA.

In his final season in the Phillies organization in 2019, he put up strong numbers with a 2.83 ERA and 1.11 WHIP along with 46 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings over 36 appearances with Lehigh Valley. He looked to be on his way to making his MLB debut soon with Philadelphia at that point in time.

Surprisingly though, Gilbert was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Kyle Garlick during the 2019-20 offseason, prior to the COVID pandemic. After the pandemic wiped out the entire 2020 minor league season, Gilbert caught on with the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2020-21 offseason when they selected him from the Dodgers in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft.

Tyler Gilbert threw a no-hitter in his first MLB start

He spent three seasons with the Diamondbacks, with the highlight of his tenure with the club being the no-hitter he threw in his first career MLB start against the San Diego Padres in August of 2021.

Gilbert was once again on the move following the 2023 season after electing free agency after being outrighted by the Diamondbacks. The Cincinnati Reds ended up signing him to a minor league contract, but his stay in the Reds organization didn't last long. The Phillies brought him home in a minor trade in early May of this year.

Since his return to the organization, Gilbert had been lights out with Lehigh Valley, compiling a perfect 4-0 record with a 2.06 ERA and 1.03 WHIP while walking only six batters to go along with 48 strikeouts in just 35 innings in 27 appearances. He has now been rewarded with a well-earned promotion to the big leagues.

It might be happening almost a decade later, but Gilbert now has the opportunity to provide significant contributions to the Phillies in their stretch run. At the same time, he will finally be able to pay his dues to the team that once drafted him. Hopefully, he'll be worth the wait for the Phillies after all these years.