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Rule 5 Draft Update: April 2023

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Fifteen players were selected in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft — an annual avenue for teams to potentially acquire talent from other organizations whose decision-makers did not place them on the 40-man roster. For those unfamiliar, in order to be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, a player must not be on his team’s 40-man roster and must have played in either parts of five professional seasons (if they signed at 18 or younger) or four professional seasons (if they signed at 19 or older). The deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 by selecting their contracts to the 40-man roster typically falls in mid-November and spurs a good deal of player movement as teams jettison borderline players and non-tender candidates from their roster in order to protect younger prospects.

A player who is selected in the Rule 5 Draft must spend the entire subsequent season on his new club’s Major League roster and cannot be optioned to the minors. The player can technically spend time on the injured list as well, but at least 90 days must be spent on the active roster. If not, the player’s Rule 5 status rolls into the following season until 90 days on the active roster have been accrued. If a team at any point decides it can no longer carry a Rule 5 selection, that player must be passed through waivers and subsequently offered back to his original organization. Any other club can claim the player via waivers, but the same Rule 5 restrictions will apply to the claiming team.

Broadly speaking, the Rule 5 Draft rarely produces impact players. There are plenty of exceptions over the years, though, with names like Johan Santana, Dan Uggla, Shane Victorino, Joakim Soria, Josh Hamilton and, more recently, Garrett Whitlock and Trevor Stephan thriving in new organizations. The Rule 5 Draft dates back more than a century and has even produced a handful of Hall of Famers: Roberto Clemente, Hack Wilson and Christy Mathewson.

It’s unlikely we’ll see any Cooperstown-bound players come from this year’s crop, but the teams who opted to select a player will be content if any of these names become a viable reliever or role player for the next several seasons. Here’s a look at this year’s group of 15 Rule 5 players and where they stand a couple of weeks into the 2023 season. We’ll do a few of these throughout the season, keeping tabs on which players survive the season and formally have their long-term rights transferred to their new clubs.

Currently on a Major League Roster

  • Thaddeus Ward, RHP (Nationals, from the Red Sox): Ward was one of Boston’s best prospects a few years back but went the better part of two years without pitching due to the canceled 2020 minor league season and Tommy John surgery in 2021. He impressed in 51 minor league frames in his 2022 return, and many Red Sox fans were irked not to see him protected last November. The Nats selected him with the top pick in the Rule 5, and after a solid spring he’s tossed 5 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on four hits and a couple of walks. Ward is averaging 94.3 mph with his heater and has fanned seven of his 23 opponents (30.4%). The Nats are the exact type of rebuilding team that can afford to carry a player all season even if he struggles, so it’s quite likely that Ward will spend the year in their bullpen — and potentially get a look in the rotation sometime down the road.
  • Ryan Noda, 1B/OF (Athletics, from the Dodgers): Like the Nats, the A’s aren’t going anywhere this season, so there’s every incentive for them to give Noda a long audition. The 27-year-old slugger hit .259/.395/.474 in Triple-A last season, and while he fanned in 28.2% of his plate appearances he also walked at a gaudy 16% clip. It’s been more of the same with the A’s. He walked 11 times but fanned on 26 occasions in 69 spring plate appearances. So far in the regular season, he’s belted a pair of homers, drawn seven walks and whiffed a dozen times in 37 A’s plate appearances. The A’s aren’t ones to shy away from a three-true-outcomes skill set, and they’ll see if Noda can do the Jack Cust dance for them moving forward.
  • Jose Hernandez, LHP (Pirates, from the Dodgers): A rocky spring didn’t dissuade the Pirates from carrying Hernandez on their Opening Day roster, and so far it seems wise that they looked past that 8.18 Grapefruit League ERA. In 5 1/3 frames, Hernandez has held opponents to one run on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts. He’s averaged 96 mph on his heater. The 25-year-old Hernandez used that power fastball and a sharp slider to fan nearly 30% of his opponents in Double-A last year, and the Bucs are currently trusting him as one of two lefties in Derek Shelton’s bullpen. He’s already picked up his first big league hold.
  • Blake Sabol, C/OF (Giants, from the Pirates): Sabol was technically selected by the Reds with the fourth pick in the draft, but Cincinnati and San Francisco had an agreed-upon deal sending Sabol to the Giants for a player to be named later. (Such swaps are common in the Rule 5 Draft.) The 25-year-old Sabol split the 2022 season between Double-A and Triple-A in Pittsburgh, batting a combined .284/.363/.497 with 66 games behind the dish and another 22 in the outfield. A monster spring showing (.348/.475/.630) and an injury to Mitch Haniger set the stage for Sabol to open the season in left field for the Giants. He’s hitting just .194/.265/.290 through his first 10 games and has split time between catcher and outfield pretty evenly. If the Giants feel he can legitimately play both spots, that’s just the type of versatility they crave when constructing their roster.
  • Mason Englert, RHP (Tigers, from the Rangers): Englert isn’t a power arm but had a strong showing in the Rangers’ High-A and (briefly) Double-A rotations in 2022, when he pitched to a combined 3.64 ERA in 118 2/3 innings. The Tigers have used him out of the bullpen so far, and the results haven’t been great. He’s surrendered six runs in just 7 1/3 innings, including a trio of long balls. Englert was a 2018 fourth-rounder who’s generally regarded as a potential back-of-the-rotation starter. It’s feasible Detroit could get him a look in a starting role at some point. Englert entered the 2023 season with just 15 1/3 innings above A-ball, so some struggles aren’t exactly surprising.
  • Kevin Kelly, RHP (Rays, from the Guardians): In a shocking and unprecedented development, the Rays look like they’ve plucked a pitcher from obscurity and perhaps found a keeper. Small sample caveats abound this time of season, but Kelly has now made four relief appearances of at least two innings (including today’s game) and yielded three runs on eight hits and no walks with seven punchouts. That comes on the heels of a 3.38 ERA and 21-to-6 K/BB ratio in 13 1/3 spring innings. The Guardians have a deep farm system and perennial 40-man crunch, which can lead to players like this going unprotected; Kelly posted a 2.04 ERA, 29.9% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate in 57 1/3 frames between Double-A and Triple-A last year.
  • Gus Varland, RHP (Brewers, from the Dodgers): The Brewers looked past Varland’s woeful 5.98 ERA in Double-A across the past two seasons, betting on the right-hander’s raw stuff rather than his results. So far, so good. Varland obliterated opposing hitters in spring training, whiffing a comical 17 of the 35 batters he faced (48.6%). So far during the regular season, he’s allowed a pair of runs on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts through six innings out of the bullpen. Varland is averaging 95.9 mph on his fastball and has kept 11 of the 22 balls in play against him on the ground.

On the Major League Injured List

  • Nic Enright, RHP (Marlins, from the Guardians): Enright announced in February that just weeks after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft, doctors diagnosed him with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He’s undergoing treatment and has said he hopes to “use his platform to provide hope and inspiration to others who fight their battle with cancer.” Enright is currently on Miami’s 60-day injured list, but baseball of course takes a back seat in this type of instance. We at MLBTR join fans of the Marlins, Guardians and every other organization in pulling for the 26-year-old Enright and wishing him a full recovery.
  • Noah Song, RHP (Phillies, from the Red Sox): Ranked as the No. 65 prospect in the 2019 draft by Baseball America, Song slid to the Red Sox in the fourth round due to his military commitments as a Naval Academy cadet. His professional experience is limited to 17 Low-A innings in 2019 while spending the past three seasons in the Navy but was transferred from active duty to selective reserves earlier this year, allowing him to play baseball. He’s on the Phillies’ 15-day injured list with a back strain, and it’s tough to imagine him just diving into a Major League bullpen after spending three years away from the game. Still, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski held that same title in Boston when the Red Sox drafted Song and has said since the Rule 5 Draft that he feels Song’s pure talent is worth the risk.
  • Wilking Rodriguez, RHP (Cardinals, from the Yankees): The 33-year-old Rodriguez is a remarkable story. It’s been eight years since he last pitched in affiliated ball and nine years since his lone MLB cup of coffee with the Royals. Since then, he’s been a staple in the Venezuelan Winter League and the Mexican League. During his past two seasons in Mexico, he hurled 73 innings with a 2.71 ERA — including 44 2/3 innings of 2.01 ERA ball with a 43.2% strikeout rate there in 2022. The Yankees signed him to a minor league deal in August, but because of his prior minor league experience from 2007-15, he was Rule 5-eligible and selected by the Cardinals. A right shoulder issue has Rodriguez on the 15-day IL right now. He’s yet to pitch for the Cardinals this year.

Already Returned to their Former Club

  • Nick Avila, RHP: Avila allowed eight runs in ten spring innings with the White Sox and was returned to the Giants, for whom he posted an electric 1.14 ERA in 55 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A last season.
  • Andrew Politi, RHP: Politi was tagged for six runs on nine hits and three walks in 8 2/3 spring innings with the Orioles, who returned him to the Red Sox late in camp.
  • Jose Lopez, LHP: Lopez walked five batters in six frames with the Padres this spring, and the Friars returned him to the Rays on March 27.
  • Chris Clarke, RHP: The towering 6’7″ Clarke faced the tough task of cracking a deep Mariners bullpen and was returned to the Cubs late in spring training after allowing four runs on eight hits and a pair of walks in 6 2/3 innings.
  • Zach Greene, RHP: The Mets plucked Greene out of the Yankees’ system, but in 4 2/3 innings during spring training he yielded seven runs with more walks (six) than strikeouts (five). The Mets returned him to the Yankees on March 14.

Bryce Harper Preparing For Work At First Base

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The Phillies are likely to be without Bryce Harper for most of the first half of this season. The two-time MVP continues to rehab from last November’s Tommy John surgery. His recovery timetable isn’t entirely clear, though it seems he’s likely to be on the injured list at least until well into May.

Because the surgery was on Harper’s throwing elbow, his hitting is further along than his defense. He’s already progressed to taking batting practice but hasn’t been cleared to throw. Harper is certain to return as a designated hitter before he can play defense but the Phils are considering one course of action that potentially could allow him to don a glove sooner than anticipated.

Matt Gelb of the Athletic reports that Harper is preparing to work at first base. The primary benefit is that it may expedite his ability to take the field by reducing the amount of stress he’ll put on his throwing arm. Corner outfield work involves more high-effort throws than Harper would have to make at first base. He wouldn’t be able to entirely avoid throwing at any position, of course, but there’d be a lower frequency and reduced intensity on most throws Harper would have to make compared to the outfield.

Some increased flexibility from Harper could also address a position that has surprisingly become a weak point in the Philadelphia lineup. The Phils lost Rhys Hoskins for what appears to be the entire season after a Spring Training ACL tear. Darick Hall, Hoskins’ replacement, tore a ligament in his right thumb last week. He underwent surgery this morning, with the Phils estimating a two-month recovery timetable. That pushed utility player Kody Clemens into the lion’s share of first base reps, with Alec Bohm expected to take some playing time against left-handed pitching.

Harper has logged one third of an inning at first base in his MLB career. He’s otherwise exclusively been an outfielder as a professional. There’s risk of growing pains with any player moving to a position with which he’s completely unfamiliar, though it’s hardly uncommon for outfielders to factor in at first base on occasion. Harper has been taking some ground balls — without making overhand throws — in recent days, Gelb notes.

Regardless of how well he takes to drills, he’ll return to the lineup as a DH before he’s cleared to defend. If he’s able to factor in at first base closer to the All-Star Break (before he’d theoretically be able to play the outfield), that’d afford the front office and coaching staff some flexibility. While Harper’s at DH, the Phils are set to pencil in Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos into the corner outfield positions regularly. Barring a breakout from Clemens, they’d perhaps have perhaps been looking to the trade market for first base help.

If Harper covers that position and vacates the DH spot for one of Schwarber or Castellanos, the Phils could broaden their search for outfield upgrades. Vacating DH would also allow manager Rob Thomson more freedom to rotate regulars through the position as quasi-rest days. It’s to be determined whether Harper will find success in that role, but the seven-time All-Star is going to try to expand his defensive flexibility over the coming weeks.

Phillies Notes: Painter, Sanchez, Hoskins

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The Phillies entered the season shorthanded in the rotation. That’s in large part because of an injury to Andrew Painter, a top pitching prospect who entered camp in a battle for the final starting spot. That was put on hold when Painter was diagnosed with a sprain of the UCL in his throwing elbow in mid-March.

Philadelphia predictably shut the highly-touted righty down. He spent around five weeks on a no-throw program before playing catch for the first time today, tweets Matt Gelb of the Athletic. It’s the first step in Painter’s throwing program, which the Phils will assuredly take with plenty of caution. There’s still not much clarity on the 20-year-old’s overall recovery timetable but it’s notable that he’s again begun throwing.

Painter is on the minor league injured list and not yet on the 40-man roster. He still hasn’t thrown a pitch at Triple-A, with five Double-A starts late in the 2022 season representing his only regular season action in the upper minors. While he was in consideration for an MLB job out of camp, he’ll almost certainly spend some time in the minors to build his pitch count once he’s ready for game action down the line.

Losing Painter all but assured Bailey Falter of a rotation spot. The Phils then lost Ranger Suárez to the IL, pushing Matt Strahm from the bullpen into the rotation. Southpaw Cristopher Sánchez might have gotten the nod over Strahm had he not also gotten hurt in Spring Training. Sánchez has been battling triceps soreness and opened the year on the IL. His injury doesn’t seem especially serious, as he’s been throwing bullpen sessions in recent days.

Sánchez will report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley tomorrow for a rehab assignment, according to the MLB.com injury tracker. He’s expected to log three innings for the IronPigs. Sánchez working in a multi-inning capacity will give the Phils some needed depth behind their current starting five of Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Taijuan Walker, Falter and Strahm.

Of course, the spring injuries weren’t limited to the pitching staff. The toughest blow the Phils were dealt this spring came when they lost slugger Rhys Hoskins to an ACL tear in his left knee. That seems likely to cost him the entire 2023 season but the Phillies have refrained from officially declaring him out for the year.

Hoskins met with reporters today, the first time he’d addressed the media since the injury. The 30-year-old first baseman expressed continued hope he could play a part in a potential postseason run (link via Dan Gelston of the Associated Press). “I’m going to do everything in my power to give myself an opportunity that if and when we are playing in late October, I have a chance to contribute to that.”

The injury opened a season-opening path to playing time at first base for Darick Hall. That audition proved unfortunately brief, as Hall suffered a thumb injury last week and will soon undergo surgery. The Phils now have a loose platoon arrangement between Kody Clemens and Alec Bohm (with Edmundo Sosa taking third base when Bohm slides across the diamond) at the position.

Multiple Teams Have Shown Interest In Dallas Keuchel

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Veteran lefty Dallas Keuchel, who did not sign a contract over the course of the offseason, has continued on a throwing program at his home in Arizona and garnered some level of interest from multiple clubs, Brittany Ghiorli of The Athletic reports. Keuchel’s fastball is currently clocking in the 88-91 mph range, she adds. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported earlier in the month that the Phillies had shown some interest in the left-hander.

Presumably, given the pronounced struggles Keuchel endured in 2021-22, the 35-year-old is viewed primarily as a depth option at this point. The former American League Cy Young winner’s velocity, strikeout rate, walk rate and home run rate all worsened in 2022, as he was tagged for 62 runs in just 60 2/3 innings between the White Sox, D-backs and Rangers. That marked the continuation of a 2021 decline that saw him pitch to a 5.28 ERA in 32 appearances (30 starts) for the White Sox.

Overall, Keuchel’s past two seasons have resulted in a grisly 6.35 ERA over the life of 222 2/3 frames. He’s never been a flamethrower, but the 90.4 mph Keuchel averaged on his sinker at his peak dropped all the way down to 87.4 mph in 2022. His strikeout rate, which sat at 23.7% during his Cy Young season, was down to 14.9% in 2022, while his once-elite walk rate landed at a career-worst 10.2%.

Keuchel had success as recently as 2020, when he pitched to a 1.99 ERA for the ChiSox through 11 starts during the pandemic-shortened season. His strikeouts and velocity were still down considerably from their peak levels that year, but he avoided hard contact at an excellent clip and induced infield pop-ups at the highest rate of his career. Even last season when allowing more than an earned run per inning, Keuchel only yielded hard contact at a slightly above-average clip overall — but the hard contact he did allow was often of the maximum-damage variety and frequently came with runners aboard.

Keuchel took a minor league deal with the D-backs after being released by the White Sox in 2022, and he took another minor league pact in Texas after Arizona released him. He’ll likely need to take another minor league deal and head to Triple-A somewhere if he’s going to break back through to the big league level. There’s minimal risk in seeing if he can maintain his current velocity over the course of a full start and perhaps rebound to some extent. A return to Cy Young form isn’t realistic, but Keuchel did toss 542 2/3 innings of 4.00 ERA ball from 2018-21.

Latest On Phillies Infield Plans

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  • Despite previous indications that Kody Clemens would take most of the reps at first base following Darick Hall’s thumb surgery, it would appear that the Phillies are now planning on shifting third baseman Alec Bohm over to first base in order to give utilityman Edmundo Sosa a run as the everyday third baseman. As noted by Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, manager Rob Thomson seems interested in what Sosa can do with an everyday opportunity, telling reporters that “we’re going to see what he’s going to do against right-handed pitching.” Sosa got his first extended playing time with the Cardinals in 2021, posting a solid wRC+ of 104 while covering shortstop in addition to second base, third base, and even center field. He struggled mightily in 2022, however, posting just a 49 wRC+ in 53 games with St. Louis prior to being traded to Philadelphia, where he excelled down the stretch in 59 plate appearances that came primarily against southpaws.

Phillies Outright Jhailyn Ortiz

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The Phillies announced that outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz cleared waivers and has been outrighted to their Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley. Ortiz had been designated for assignment earlier in the week.

Ortiz was added to Philadelphia’s 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 draft at the end of 2021, but is yet to appear in the big leagues. A high-profile international signing with a $4MM bonus in 2015, Ortiz moved up the Phillies’ minor league system as one of their better prospects. His raw power was always his big calling, but that came with a concerning strikeout rate as well.

He slugged 19 home runs in 74 games at High-A in 2021, but took a slight step back last year at Double-A, hitting 17 home runs across 119 games for a .237/.319/.415 line. That line came with 165 strikeouts over his 505 plate appearances. Nonetheless the Phillies started Ortiz in Triple-A this year, and having cleared waivers it appears that’s where he’ll continue.

While the power is intriguing, it’s clear it wasn’t enough to tempt the other 29 clubs to offer him a 40-man roster spot, even though Ortiz has a couple of option years remaining.

Latest On Phillies’ First Base Plans

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The Phillies entered the season with an unexpected question mark at first base. Rhys Hoskins went down with what’s likely to be a season-ending ACL tear during the final week of Spring Training. That pushed Darick Hall to the top of the depth chart, at least against right-handed pitching.

Hall started five of Philadelphia’s first six games before suffering a thumb injury on Wednesday. The Phils announced this morning the left-handed hitter tore a ligament in his right thumb and will require surgery. Matt Gelb of the Athletic writes that Hall could be out for around two months, which’ll leave the club dipping further down the depth chart.

The first crack will apparently fall to Kody Clemens. Acquired alongside Gregory Soto in a trade with the Tigers over the offseason, Clemens was recalled to make his team debut this morning. He got the nod at first base against Reds righty Hunter Greene. Manager Rob Thomson told reporters the Phils plan to use the lefty-swinging Clemens as their primary first baseman against right-handed pitching (link via Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Against southpaws, it seems likely the Phils will slide Alec Bohm over from third base while turning to Edmundo Sosa or Josh Harrison at the hot corner. Non-roster player Scott Kingery hit well in Spring Training to potentially put himself in the mix for a multi-positional bench role as well.

Clemens, 27 next month, has primarily been a second baseman. He’s regarded as more of a bat-first player, though most prospect evaluators have suggested he’s better suited for a utility role than playing every day. Clemens got into 57 big league games with Detroit last season, struggling to a .145/.197/.308 line in 127 trips to the plate. He’d been far better with their top affiliate in Toledo, where he had an above-average .274/.327/.535 slash with 13 home runs in 60 contests.

While Clemens has a solid offensive track record in the minors, it’s an obviously suboptimal situation for a team that expects to contend in what should be a difficult NL East. Gelb writes that Philadelphia explored potential trade possibilities in the immediate aftermath of Hoskins’ injury but couldn’t find an available external option they considered a significant enough upgrade over Hall. It’s possible they reexamine that market in the wake of Hall’s injury, although it’s not a typically active time for trades. If the Phils were to go outside the organization in the short term, it’d likely be for a player towards the back of the depth chart rather than an impact acquisition.

Phillies’ Darick Hall To Undergo Thumb Surgery

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10:35am: Hall actually tore a ligament in his thumb, reports Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer, and will require surgery.

9:20am: The Phillies announced that they have recalled infielder Kody Clemens from Triple-A. He’ll take the roster spot of infielder Darick Hall, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right thumb sprain, retroactive to April 6. The recall of Clemens had been previously reported by Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

The Phillies have been hit hard by the injury bug in the early parts of this season as they’ve limped out to a 1-5 start in the first week. Up until about two weeks ago, Hall was lined up to be in a supporting role on the Phillies’ bench behind regular first baseman Rhys Hoskins. Unfortunately, Hoskins suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a spring contest, an injury that could keep him out of action for the entire season.

That bumped Hall to the top of the depth chart at first base, which was a decent fallback for the Phils to have on hand. He hit 28 home runs in Triple-A last year and then added nine more in his 42-game major league debut. He struck out in 31% of his major league plate appearances but still hit .250/.282/.522 for a wRC+ of 120. He’s appeared in all six contests so far this year, getting the starting gig at first base in five of them, but will now head to the injured list for a spell.

It’s unclear how much time Hall is expected to miss, but the Phils will have to improvise at first now that they are doubly shorthanded there, at least until Hall can return. It’s possible that Alec Bohm moves from over from third base, opening up the hot corner for players like Clemens, Edmundo Sosa or Josh Harrison. Clemens spent time at first, second, third and left field with the Tigers last year but hit just .145/.197/.308 in 127 plate appearances. His Triple-A batting line was a much nicer .274/.327/.535. If the Phils look outside the organization, there are some notable free agents still available, including first base-capable players like Miguel Sanó and Darin Ruf.

Phillies Select McKinley Moore, Designate Jhailyn Ortiz

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The Phillies announced that right-hander McKinley Moore has had his contract selected. To make room on the active roster, righty Yunior Marté was optioned following last night’s game. To open a spot on the 40-man, outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz was designated for assignment.

Moore, 24, has made a major league roster for the first time in his career and will be making his MLB debut as soon as he gets into a game. A 14th round selection of the White Sox in 2019, he came over to the Phillies in exchange for outfielder Adam Haseley just over a year ago. At the time of that deal, Moore was coming off a season where he racked up strikeouts but also walked a lot of hitters. Splitting his time between Class-A and Class-A Advanced, he tossed 40 2/3 innings with a 4.20 ERA, 32.6% strikeout rate and 11.6% walk rate.

That profile seems to have followed Moore to his new organization. He tossed 49 2/3 Double-A innings last year with a 4.35 ERA, striking out 31.3% of batters faced and getting grounders at a healthy 48.3% clip, but he walked 11.5% of opponents he faced. He had a nice showing in spring last month, not allowing an unearned run over 9 1/3 innings with 11 Ks and just one walk, though he did walk two of the eight hitters he faced in Triple-A recently.

The Phillies probably weren’t expecting or hoping to make a move like this so early in the season but their pitching staff has been stretched by various factors. Ranger Suárez, Andrew Painter, Cristopher Sánchez and Nick Nelson all dealt with various injuries in spring, pushing Matt Strahm from the bullpen to the rotation. Then they were hit around in their first four games, allowing 37 runs while each of Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Taijuan Walker failed to go five innings in their respective starts. Only Bailey Falter, who went 5 1/3, managed to get over that line. Strahm is starting tonight but only expected to throw around 65 pitches, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic, given that he wasn’t fully stretched out in spring. With the bullpen already getting heavy work and Strahm’s limited capacity tonight, a fresh arm was needed. Michael Plassmeyer,  Erich Uelmen and Luis Ortiz are on the 40-man but were just optioned at the end of camp and can’t be recalled until 15 days have elapsed unless someone goes on the injured list.

All of those circumstances led to Moore’s selection and the designation of Ortiz, a 24-year-old outfielder. Once a high-profile international signing, the Phillies gave him a $4MM bonus when he was first signed in 2015. He’s been considered one of the club’s top prospects since then, with Baseball America ranking him on their top 30 in each season since 2016. As he’s moved up the minor league ladder, he’s continued to show the power that made him so intriguing as an amateur, but with mounting strikeout rates to go with. He was added to the club’s 40-man roster in November 2021 to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft, then spent all of last year in Double-A. He hit 17 home runs in 119 games but also was punched out in 32.7% of his plate appearances. His .237/.319/.415 batting line amounted to a wRC+ of 101.

The Phillies will now have one week to trade Ortiz or pass him through waivers. It’s possible that one of the 29 other clubs is intrigued by his power and prospect pedigree. The strikeouts will obviously raise some concerns, but he still has a couple of option years and could be kept in the minors for the rest of this year and the next by any club willing to give him a 40-man roster spot.

Latest On Bryce Harper

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During tonight’s Phillies/Rangers matchup on ESPN, Bryce Harper and Phillies manager Rob Thomson shared some positive updates about Harper’s recovery from Tommy John surgery in November.  (Hat tip to Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia.)  Thomson said Harper is likely to hit on the field at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, prior to the Phils’ home opener against the Reds.  Harper has already been doing his usual slate of batting cage work for roughly 10 days.

No update was given on Harper’s timeline, as the former MVP said he is “just trying to get my rehab going as best as possible,” and “just trying to take it each day, make sure I hit every checkpoint.”

“[I’ve] still got a minute to go.  Just trying to be smart about it, understanding my good days are going to be good and some days I’ll just be sore and it’ll be a little tougher.  But I feel good right now, just got to keep that going and keep doing the same stuff.”

Once Harper does his on-field work, Thomson laid out the gameplan of live batting practice and then progressing to minor league rehab games.  While there’s certainly a lot to like about Harper’s progress, these next steps won’t be completed quickly, particularly since Harper both has to recover physically and fully ramp up for the season after missing all of Spring Training.  The Phillies initially suggested that Harper would be back by roughly the All-Star break in a DH capacity, and he might return to right field later in the season if all was well with his throwing arm.

However, tonight’s update might be the latest hint that Harper could be activated from the injured list before that July target — for instance, the Phils only placed him on the 10-day version of the IL prior to the season, not the 60-day IL that would normally come with a longer-term injury.  President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski did suggest that a 60-day placement (which would be backdated to Harper’s initial placement on the 10-day IL on March 30) might still occur if Philadelphia needs to create a 40-man roster spot, but it would seem like the Phillies didn’t want to entirely rule out Harper’s return within the first 60 days of the regular season.

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