The Philadelphia Phillies have their first spring training games on Saturday when they face the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers in split-squad action. It is destined to be a ragtag bunch of players to cover all the innings and plate appearances — but we should see some everyday players get at least some token playing time, and we will be able to see where they stand early in camp.
One player we definitely will not see — but who will be reporting to camp a bit sooner than expected — is Bryce Harper. The two-time MVP will start the season on the injured list, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in November, but it sounds like his rehab is going well. Harper will report to camp in early March.
More Phillies News
After the Phillies' 2022 World Series run, expectations are high going into the 2023 season despite oddsmakers seeing a repeat of 2022 as particularly likely. For the Phillies to put together a similar season, we examined key players who could help make that happen.
We also looked at what to expect from the Phillies in 2023 — including the current third base situation, hoping Alec Bohm can improve his defensive metrics and bat.
Finally, we had a piece on Yunior Marté and why he could be a nice Phillies bullpen addition. Marté has some encouraging peripherals, and while his surface-level results leave something to be desired, he should give the Phillies some much-needed relief depth.
MLB News
Some less than stellar news arrived for the division-rival Atlanta Braves, who reported Ozzie Albies had offseason shoulder surgery. The issue bothered Albies for a while, and it sounds the surgery appears to have been just a cleanup procedure. You can add this to the growing list of ailments that seemingly plagued Atlanta this offseason.
Elly De La Cruz is among the most tooled-up prospects in the league. A guy as big as he should not be able to move as fast as he does. He is standing out in a good way in spring training. It is fair to say that De La Cruz probably won't make the team out of camp, but Reds fans might not have to wait long for his debut.