Reports from last week indicated that Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips might begin the season on the 15-day injured list, as his offseason throwing work was delayed until January due to a small tear in the tendon of his right rotator cuff. Phillips confirmed his status to reporters (including the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett) on Friday, saying that “Opening Day is off the table,” even though he doesn’t expect to miss much time.
Some positive steps have already been taken in that direction, as Phillips said his shoulder has felt good during his ramp-up work in camp. This includes his first proper bullpen session of Spring Training, which took place yesterday. The Dodgers figure to take Phillips along pretty slowly in camp to make up for his lost prep time during the offseason, yet the early indications are promising.
Phillips emerged as the Dodgers’ closer in 2023 by converting 24 of 27 save chances and posting a 2.05 ERA over 61 1/3 innings. That ERA shot up to a 3.62 mark over 54 2/3 innings in 2024, due in large part to a more baseline amount of batted-ball luck — Phillips had a .219 BABIP in 2023, and a .298 BABIP last season. The right-hander’s SIERAs over both seasons were virtually identical (3.08 in 2023, 3.15 in 2024) and his walk rate increased from a very strong 5.6% to an only decent 7.5%. Most of Phillips’ struggles last year came in one brutal six-outing stretch in July that saw him tagged for a 19.64 ERA over just 3 2/3 innings of work, but he righted the ship over the last two months of the regular season.
The good form continued into October with 6 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball in the NLDS and NLCS, except Phillips’ shoulder injury then kept him off the World Series roster. Phillips said he received a PRP injection in his shoulder in November, though an MRI in December still showed “some damage,” hence the adjustments to his offseason throwing routine.
Phillips’ health status was undoubtedly a factor in the Dodgers’ decision to sign Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates this offseason, fortifying the end-game innings just in case Phillips does have to miss any time. Michael Kopech’s status is also a question mark, though Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) that Kopech is set to “touch the mound” for a brief throwing session tomorrow. Reports last month indicated that Kopech is dealing with some forearm inflammation, and while the Dodgers didn’t think the situation was too serious, Kopech has indeed been limited in his throwing during Spring Training.
In other Dodgers pitching news, Bobby Miller updated the media on his condition after the right-hander was struck in the head by a Michael Busch line drive on Thursday. Miller told Ardaya that he is dealing with some headaches and drowsiness, and Roberts said yesterday that the team would continue to monitor Miller through concussion protocol. All in all, it seems as though Miller has thankfully emerged relatively unscathed from the scary incident.
Well we did go a whole day yesterday without any Dodger news.
We’ve transitioned from the “Dodgers sign everyone” to the “Dodgers’ pitching staff has died” part of the calendar.
this is why they have a 10-man rotation
I think this, more than anything else, could be the Dodgers’ Achilles heel. Injuries to the Dodgers staff (and probably the Yankees too) are going to be more critical than just about any other team in term of how they finish the season.
Injuries are always a big factor for any team. But the Dodgers staff is very, very deep. LAD couldn’t possibly have more pitching injuries than they did last season. How’d that work out for them Clip?
So much for the Achille’s heel….
Yeah, that’s a great point. Probably the deepest staff in the league.
Let’s have an October rematch!
I love it! Unfortunately, I’m not yet confident in the Yankees chances to make it there again.
Well, the Yanks had a pretty good off-season and made alotta moves to address the loss of Soto. It’s not like any of the other AL teams did any more. Boston did a bit to maybe bring back the rivalry which should make the division more interesting….
“Dodgers’ Achilles heel”…What should worry every other team is the Dodgers won the recent World Series with a pitching rotation fronted by Jack Flaherty & a diminished Walker Beuhler who had an ERA around 6 on the season(I believe). They obviously have much more than that this year.
MLB fan: Yeah, it’s a mystery. They already have, what, three or four pitchers on the 60-day IL?
Clipper: I still don’t know how the Dodgers won the WS with so many injuries to their pitching staff. Out hit their injuries, I suppose.
The Dodgers used 40 different pitchers last year, worked out all right.
In Miller’s case, if headaches, drowsiness and possibly ptsd are “relatively unscathed”….
It’s spring training. Optimism reigns supreme.
It’s a better start than Brandon McCarthy’s comeback; that was a horrifying one.
highheat: I think it was two ST’s ago when Austin Nola, Justin Turner and one other guy I can’t remember who were hit in the face by pitches. Scary both ways.
In fairness, nobody mentioned PTSD. I am sure most pitchers who experience a line drive to the head are going to need some time to overcome any unease about getting back on the mound, but how much will depend on the player and what happened to him. The bright side for Miller is he wasn’t knocked unconscious.
“Relatively” is doing a lot of work in that sentence.
No need to rush. Just get healthy by October for the repeat.
This is a good start. Now, we need every one of their pitchers to have their arms fall off. Thus be it ever to the Tax Dodgers.
What a great baseball fan. Wishing for injuries. It is a pleasure to never see your posts again.
Another Dodger hating crybaby.
LOL!!!
Teenagers! Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live with ‘em.
Pitching is the least of their worries. The offense running on all cylinders in October is the key….
mute…. what a jerk
Season debut deferred.
another super creative hilarious and original deferral joke.