Phillies Select Christian Cairo, Designate Garrett Stubbs For Assignment
The Phillies announced they’ve selected outfielder Justin Crawford and infielder Christian Cairo onto the 40-man roster. Crawford will break camp as the everyday center fielder. Cairo will not be on the Opening Day roster, as Philly optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. They opened a spot on the 40-man by designating catcher Garrett Stubbs for assignment.
Additionally, Philadelphia placed three pitchers on the 15-day injured list. Zack Wheeler (rehabbing thoracic outlet surgery), Orion Kerkering (right hamstring strain) and Max Lazar (left oblique strain) are beginning the season on the shelf. Those placements are retroactive to March 22.
Cairo signed an offseason minor league contract. Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports that the deal included an upward mobility clause. That required them to add him to the 40-man roster or let him go if another team were willing to give him a roster spot. He still has a full slate of minor league options, so they don’t need to carry him on the MLB club to keep him.
The 24-year-old Cairo has yet to play in the majors. He’s a slick-fielding middle infielder with a light bat. Cairo hit just .237/.338/.331 with two homers over 416 Triple-A plate appearances in the Cleveland farm system last year. He batted .194 with 15 strikeouts over 41 trips to the dish this spring. He’ll open the season in the minors with Edmundo Sosa and Dylan Moore holding utility roles on the MLB bench.
Philadelphia telegraphed the Stubbs move when they began shopping him on the trade market this week. They’re going with Rafael Marchán as the backup catcher behind J.T. Realmuto. Stubbs is out of options and is pushed out of the mix. The Phillies have five days to trade him or place him on waivers. He’s on a split contract that makes it likely he’d accept a Triple-A assignment if no other team carries him on the big league roster.
Wheeler and Kerkering both pitched in minor league games toward the end of the spring. Lazar suffered a mild oblique strain while pitching for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic. All three pitchers should be back fairly early in the season.
Phillies Notes: Wheeler, Kerkering, Stott
Zack Wheeler threw a 21-pitch bullpen on Thursday, making the first time that the Phillies ace had thrown a BP since undergoing thoracic outlet surgery in September. Wheeler and Phils manager Rob Thomson each told reporters (including The Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes) that Wheeler threw only fastballs and sinkers at about 85 percent effort, which is normal for any pitcher’s first bullpen session following an injury layoff. Everything went well enough that Wheeler is slated for another bullpen on Sunday, as for now, the right-hander is on a standard ramp-up plan.
It is still early enough in the process that neither Wheeler or the team is putting any kind of timeline on when the three-time All-Star could potentially make his return to Philadelphia’s rotation. TOS surgeries and their associated recovery periods are, as Thomson put it, “new stuff, and it’s different than a lot of other injuries. So, we really can’t pin it down to a day or a week.”
Still, it would seem like the early optimism that Wheeler could be back at some point in the first half of April has yet to abate. Wheeler was given a broad timeframe of 6-8 months in the wake of his surgery, so at the very least, it would seem like he’ll be able to return in the earlier end of that two-month window. A season-opening IL stint is definite, but Thomson said it is possible Wheeler could pitch in a Spring Training game before camp is over.
The Phillies surely aren’t going to rush Wheeler’s process, of course, since simply having him back pitching isn’t nearly as important as having him back in good form, both health-wise and results-wise. It is anyone’s guess as to whether or not Wheeler will able to recapture his superstar level of production immediately or even at all, given how many (but not all) pitchers dealing with thoracic outlet syndrome have never been the same after their surgeries. The fact that Wheeler is thus far feeling normal in his prep work is a great sign that the righty can again be a force in the rotation.
In other injury news, Orion Kerkering was sidelined by a Grade 1 hamstring strain right at the start of the Phillies’ camp, but the right-hander is set to throw a bullpen session today. Assuming no setbacks in Kerkering’s ramp-up, he should be on track for the Opening Day roster, as his arm will require less build for a relief role.
Kerkering will return to a high-leverage assignment in Philadelphia’s bullpen, though the addition of Brad Keller may push Kerkering a rung lower on the depth chart. Kerkering’s 2025 season will unfortunately be remembered for his game-ending and series-ending throwing error in Game 4 of the NLDS, but he delivered another solid campaign overall, with a 3.30 ERA and 24.4% strikeout rate over 60 innings. That strikeout rate was a dropoff from his 28.8K% in 2024, however, plus Kerkering’s walk rate spiked upwards.
Bryson Stott is another Phillie looking for more consistency in 2026, but the fact that the second baseman ended last season on a high note gives him lots of optimism for the coming season. As Stott told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, some brutal numbers in the first half led Stott to overhaul his approach on the fly at midseason, with adjustments that included lowering his hands and standing closer to the plate. The left-handed hitter also simplified things by just trying to pull the ball and make solid contact, rather than focus on trying to hit to all fields.
“If you just take your swing and it’s an outside pitch, it’s going to go to left, instead of trying to guide it to left,” Stott said. “For example, I’ll get an inside heater and I’m like, ‘Well, I want to hit the ball to left this at-bat,’ and then I try to finagle the barrel around and that’s when I get myself in trouble. The second half was more of just letting the ball dictate where it’s going to go rather than me trying to dictate where it’s going to go.”
Stott enjoyed a hot start in April before sinking into a deep slump, as he batted just .196/.266/.274 over 243 plate appearances from May 1 through July 22. From that point onwards, the swing changes starting clicking, as Stott hit .307/.376/.508 over his final 202 PA of the 2025 campaign.
Most of Stott’s season-long damage came against right-handed pitchers, as he batted only .225/.287/.228 in 123 PA against southpaws. Stott posted at least decent numbers against lefties in his first two MLB seasons, but his splits have cratered over the last two years, which has threatened his role as Philadelphia’s everyday second baseman. The team’s plan is to give Edmundo Sosa a big chunk (and maybe all) of the second base playing time when a left-hander is on the mound, though Stott believes he can perform well enough against southpaws to protect his spot in the lineup.
Taijuan Walker, Orion Kerkering To Open Season On IL
March 24: Walker told reporters (including Todd Zolecki of MLB.com) this afternoon that he was diagnosed with a shoulder impingement. He’ll begin the season on the injured list, though he added that rest is the only treatment required and that he hopes his stay on the shelf will be a short one.
March 23: Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker was scratched from his recent spring start due to shoulder stiffness, manager Rob Thomson told reporters today (including Matt Gelb of The Athletic). Gelb notes that right-hander Spencer Turnbull figures to open the season in the club’s rotation if Walker begins the season on the injured list. Walker isn’t the only Phillies pitcher dealing with injury troubles, as Todd Zolecki of MLB.com adds that right-hander Orion Kerkering is will begin the season on the injured list after missing time this spring due to illness.
The twin injury updates are tough news for Phillies fans. Walker was a solid back-of-the-rotation starter for the club last year with a roughly league average 4.38 ERA and 4.53 FIP, though he was durable enough to make 31 starts for the club last year and post 172 2/3 innings of work. Now, it seems likely that Walker will miss at least the first few weeks of the regular season, though it’s difficult to say how severe his injury is barring further updates from the Phillies.
Taking Walker’s place in the rotation should he begin the season on the shelf figures to be Turnbull, a former second-round pick who spent four years as a mid-to-back of the rotation starter with the Tigers. From his big league debut through the 2021 season, Turnbull posted a solid 4.25 ERA with an even strong 3.63 FIP. He was limited to just 54 appearances across those four seasons by injuries, however, including Tommy John surgery which limited him to nine starts in 2021 and sidelined him for the entire 2022 season.
Injury woes persisted through his return to the mound in 2023, as Turnbull struggled to a 7.26 ERA and 5.55 FIP across seven starts in the big leagues while battling neck and foot issues that caused a dispute regarding service time between Turnbull and the Tigers. Detroit eventually non-tendered Turnbull, at which point he signed with the Phillies on a big league deal. Turnbull appeared poised to begin the season as a long relief option out of the club’s bullpen, though he’s spent most of his career as a starter to this point and should have minimal trouble adjusting to the change in plans.
As for Kerkering, the soon-to-be 23-year-old right-hander made his major league debut last season, allowing one run in three innings of work while striking out six of the fourteen batters he faced. That impressive cup of coffee earned Kerkering a role on the postseason roster in Philadelphia. He pitched 5 1/3 innings of work during the postseason against the Marlins, Braves, and Diamondbacks, putting together a 3.38 ERA while striking out five and walking three.
Despite his minimal big league experience, Kerkering nonetheless had long been expected to be part of the club’s bullpen mix on Opening Day. That won’t come to fruition, however, as Kerkering will spend at least the first few weeks of the season on the shelf as he continues to prepare for the 2024 season. Kerkering’s absence, along with Turnbull’s likely move from the bullpen to the rotation, creates some level of uncertainty in the Philly bullpen. The Phillies acquired right-hander Zac Houston from the Rays earlier today, and he could join the likes of Connor Brogdon, Kolby Allard, Michael Mercado, and Yunior Marte as possible options for the two bullpen spots previously expected to go to Kerkering and Turnbull.
Note: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that Walker had been sent for an MRI on his shoulder. MLBTR regrets the error.
Phillies Outright Drew Ellis
Sept. 24: Ellis has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, as per the Phillies’ official transactions page. There isn’t yet any word on whether or not he has accepted the assignment or elected free agency.
Sept. 22: The Phillies announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Orion Kerkering, a move that was reported on earlier today. In corresponding moves, right-hander Yunior Marté was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley while infielder Drew Ellis was designated for assignment.
Ellis, 27, signed a minor league deal with the Phils in April and was added to the 40-man roster in June. He has since served as an optionable depth piece, playing 12 games in the majors. He drew walks in six of his 29 plate appearances, leading to a strong .217/.379/.478 batting line in that small sample. In 70 Triple-A games this year, he’s slashed .224/.336/.433 for a wRC+ of 92.
The Phils will now place Ellis on waivers in the coming days. He’s hit just .157/295/.269 in his major league career, in just 129 plate appearances. He’s had much stronger results in Triple-A, having hit .247/.364/.500 in 1,124 plate appearances at that level. He’s played each of the non-shortstop infield positions, meaning he could appeal to a club in search of some extra depth on the dirt. He wouldn’t be postseason eligible if claimed now but can be retained for six years beyond the current season. He’s in his final option year and will be out of options next season. In the event he clears waivers, he would have the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency, by virtue of having a previous career outright.
Phillies To Promote Orion Kerkering
The Phillies are going to promote right-hander Orion Kerkering, reports Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Kerkering isn’t on the 40-man roster, so the club will need to make a corresponding move of some kind to open a spot for him.
Kerkering, 22, was a fifth-round selection of the Phils just last year. He got to make a brief professional debut after that draft, making one appearance in the Complex League and five in Single-A. He came into this year ranked as the #25 prospect in the system by Baseball America and #19 by FanGraphs. Both outlets highlighted his fastball and slider, with BA noting that Kerkering’s move to the bullpen in college could see him rise quickly, narrow his focus to those two strong offerings.
Here in 2023, he has torpedoed through four levels already, going through Single-A, High-A, Double-A, Triple-A and will now add the majors to that list. He has combined for 53 2/3 innings over those stops with a 1.51 earned run average, 38% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate. He won’t be able to sustain the 92.3% strand rate he’s had so far this year but even his 2.36 FIP points to great results even with some regression.
The Phillies are currently sporting a record of 84-69. They’re nowhere close to Atlanta in the East but currently possess the top Wild Card spot in the National League, three games up on the second-place Diamondbacks and five up on the Cubs and Marlins. That makes them a virtual lock to return to the playoffs this year.
They will plug Kerkering into their bullpen mix and see how he fares against bit league hitters in the final games of the regular season schedule. If his results are anywhere near his performance in the minors, he could push for a spot on the postseason roster. Players that are in an organization but not on the 40-man can be eligible for the postseason as an injury substitute via a petition to the league, even if they are added after September 1.