Camp is off to an interesting start. Weston Wilson got hurt and is out the rest of camp, Johan Rojas is DHing, and Bryce Harper almost got hit in the face. I’m sure everyone on the Phillies is sleeping well at night.

Weston Wilson’s Injury

It’s a tough break for the guy man. Wilson was the favorite for the last spot on Rob Thomson’s bench before an oblique injury knocked him out for six weeks on a swing during the first week of camp. The Phillies will have to look for right-handed help in the outfield.

Edmundo Sosa played left field on Thursday, Buddy Kennedy might get reps out there, and there will be players available as free agents or waiver claims throughout March.

The problem for Wilson is that most of these options won’t be able to go to the minors. It’s possible Wilson isn’t ready until late April but because of minor league options could be sent down to AAA. That’s a tough break for the guy.

There are a few different options the Phillies could consider. One option that sticks out is Stone Garrett, who was put on waivers by the Washington Nationals.

In 198 career PAs against left-handed pitching, Garrett has a slash line of .279/.333/.541 for a .874 OPS. That is better than anyone else they have and he still has minor league options.

Garrett also has a .783 OPS against right-handed hitters in 163 PAs so maybe he could play everyday if needed. With an outfield that has an uncertain future, that is at least something to think about.

Someone like Garrett may get claimed before the Phillies have a chance. I don’t know why a team like the Chicago White Sox, with Lenyn Sosa as their projected DH next season, wouldn’t consider putting in a claim for Garrett. The Phillies might have to jump the waiver wire to get him.

Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas ABs vs Yankees Lefties

Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas are essentially competing for at-bats against lefties. Rojas has a leg up because of his defense but has struggled to hit left-handed pitching his entire professional career.

Marsh hit just .192 last season against lefties and doesn’t have Rojas’s defense but has shown more promise against south-paws in the past. In 2023, Marsh had a .717 OPS against left-handed pitching in limited plate appearances. He hit a massive game-four double off Andrew Saalfrank in the NLCS too.

While the trade was back in 2022 and shouldn’t carry much meaning at this point, the Phillies traded a very good prospect for Marsh with the idea he could grow into an everyday center fielder. He has not been given many chances vs left-handers and has split time between center and left field throughout his Phillies career. The Phillies should like to see him take on both even if it’s only for a year or so with Justin Crawford coming.

Marsh got on base three times against Yankees left-handers Thursday. He hit a double to left center field off Carlos Rodón and worked a walk in his second plate appearance. Against a funky left-hander in Tim Hill, Marsh battled to work a second walk.

Johan Rojas hits a Two-Run Home Run off of Carlos Rodon! pic.twitter.com/R2AJlugcd6

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) February 27, 2025

Rojas battled back from 0-2 to work the count full against Rodón before putting a charge into a fastball to right field. He worked himself into a hitters count before moving a runner to third in his second at-bat.

Rojas won’t be able to get all his 2023 playing time back without injuries but finding a role against lefties could help him get chances against right-handers in the future. He likely won’t be handed anything unlike last season so he has to earn it.

It’s still February as of this writing so there shouldn’t be real takeaways for either player. However, these are still promising signs for both players.

Reliever Stuff

José Alvarado’s velocity and stuff looked harder and sharper than last year. He sat roughly 99-101 against the Yankees, nearly two ticks harder than his average last year. Alvarado also threw two curveballs which is neat.

Max Lazar added a little bit of velocity, touching 95.5 miles per hour after averaging 93.4 last year. He walked two batters and gave up four runs.

John McMillon hit 100 mph in his first outing of camp against Baltimore but was back down to 96 against the Yankees. His slider looks sharp and he is throwing more strikes. McMillon is not on the 40-man roster but has the kind of stuff the Phillies could always use in the bullpen.

Kyle Tyler is throwing two ticks harder in camp. He is a funky right-hander who uses a cutter as his primary fastball. He is a depth starter in AAA but could see time as a long-man if he keeps the velocity up.