Evan Phillips watched from the front row as the Dodgers secured their World Series victory over the Yankees last October, but he never got the chance to step on the field. A shoulder injury kept him off the roster, making the experience even tougher to process. The frustration of knowing he could have been out there weighed on him, and he struggled to cope with it at home.

Phillips’ injury was more severe than the Dodgers initially indicated and will likely force him onto the injured list at the start of the 2025 season.

Evan Phillips not playing in the World Series

The Dodgers reliever tore his subscapularis during the NLCS, damaging the largest muscle in the rotator cuff.

The 30-year-old recorded a team-high 18 saves for the Dodgers last season and delivered 6⅔ scoreless innings across five outings in their NLDS and NLCS wins.

Phillips admitted he struggled to recover after Game 6 of the NLCS, realizing something felt off. After taking Monday to rest, he returned on Tuesday feeling more confident, but his throwing session didn’t go as planned.

The following day, while the Dodgers geared up for the World Series against the Yankees, Phillips underwent an MRI that confirmed the tear. He received a cortisone injection in an attempt to speed up the healing process and make a return for the series, but it wasn’t enough. Instead, he watched from the sidelines as the team played its biggest games of the year.

“Could I have gone out there and thrown the ball? Maybe. But I wanted to make sure if I was pitching, I was in a position to help the team and I just wasn’t there,” Phillips remarked via an interview from The Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett.

Phillips explained that tests on his shoulder didn’t reveal enough damage to warrant surgery, but he did receive a platelet-rich plasma injection after the team returned from New York. A follow-up MRI in December indicated progress, though some damage remained.

Phillips missing Opening Day this season for the Dodgers

Because of this, his December throwing program consisted only of medicine balls and light plyometric work. He didn’t start throwing a baseball until January 1 and has only advanced to long toss as camp begins this week. That delay puts him behind schedule for Opening Day and makes it highly unlikely he’ll be ready for the Tokyo games on March 18 and 19.

Phillips finished last season with a 3.62 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over 54 2/3 innings. He recorded 63 strikeouts, 18 saves, and limited hard contact to 32.7 percent while posting a 3.29 xERA.

With the bullpen bolstered by offseason additions like Tanner Scott, a close friend of Phillips, and Kirby Yates, the Dodgers have no need to fast-track his recovery. While Phillips acknowledges this, he remains focused on progressing day by day.