We’re well into spring training action now, with the Philadelphia Phillies holding a (meaningless) 5-8 record in Grapefruit League action. The Phillies have a goal of repeating as NL East champions this season, and coming off 95 regular season wins last year, are looking to atone for their embarrassingly early exit from the playoffs.

To do that, they’ll be relying primarily on their set roster of veteran star players to drive the bus, with some help from the right mix of role players. They’ll need contributions from a cast of bench players and in-season call-ups as the grind of the 162-game schedule takes its toll.

Coming into training camp, the Phillies had only a few open roster spots up for grabs. The final bullpen and bench spots had obvious frontrunners, but there were a handful of roster hopefuls trying to play their way into an Opening Day job. While some players have been making the most of their opportunities, others haven’t appeared to put their best foot forward so far. Here are three players who aren’t doing themselves any favors this spring.

3 Phillies not helping themselves earn an Opening Day roster spot during spring training

Cal Stevenson, OF

The final bench spot will be one of the most hotly-contested roster spots as we get closer to Opening Day. After presumed favorite Weston Wilson went down with an unfortunate oblique injury early in camp, the race for the Phillies’ 26th spot broke wide open. Outfielder Cal Steveson is among the contenders, or, at least, was among the contenders when the Phillies began Grapefruit League games two weeks ago.

The 28-year-old left-handed hitter has been riding the struggle bus this spring, slashing .048/.130/.095 with one hit (a double) in 21 at-bats. He has been punched out a whopping 13 times — by far the most on the team — with just two walks to his credit. His most recent performance was one he’ll want to forget, when he went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, leaving three on base, on March 7 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Stevenson still has a minor-league option remaining, so the former 10th-round draft pick will likely wind up in Triple-A to start the year, barring a miraculous turnaround at the plate. Having already made his way through the Toronto, Houston, Tampa Bay, Oakland and San Francisco organizations, even if he doesn’t stick with the Phillies through the season, we’ll always have the “Cal Stevenson” game from the stretch run in September last season.

Buddy Kennedy, INF

Another bench contender, Buddy Kennedy, has a prime opportunity to grab the role with Stevenson struggling mightily. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old infielder hasn’t done much to claim the job. Despite showing some pop in his right-handed bat, with two of his three hits being home runs and a .556 slugging percentage, he has a .167 batting average in 22 plate appearances. A saving grace might be that he has walked four times (19 percent), but he has also struck out seven times (33.3 percent).

You might recall Kennedy, who hails from Millville, New Jersey, had an emotional night at Citizens Bank Park last September. He picked up his first MLB hit in a big walk-off win in front of a packed house chanting his name.

Buddy! Buddy! Buddy! pic.twitter.com/FxXB7YzgQc

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 11, 2024

As a player not on the 40-man roster who’s out of options, Kennedy would seem to have a slight edge over Stevenson. He spent the offseason working with superstar Mike Trout, who also hails from Millville, to become as versatile as possible with designs on playing both infield and outfield this season. However, he might need to show more to win the race against Kody Clemens, who’s slashing .333/.364/.667 with a pair of homers through nine games — even with Clemens being a left-handed bat.

Tyler Phillips, RHP

Right-hander Tyler Phillips isn’t having the spring he likely envisioned or was hoping for. The 27-year-old is trying to prove he can be an asset to the Phillies despite being out of minor-league options. Phillips, who burst onto the scene with a historic MLB debut with the Phillies last season, certainly is in a pickle, in between a rock and a hard place, or whatever idiom you prefer.

Through three Grapefruit League appearances, including one start, Phillips has an 0-3 record with a 10.13 ERA and gaudy 2.06 WHIP in 5 1/3 innings of work. He had allowed six runs (all earned) on five hits and one home run. He has six strikeouts but, as you can gather from his WHIP, has struggled with command, walking six and hitting one batter so far.

He got off to an inauspicious start, taking the ball as the starter for the Phillies’ spring home opener against the Baltimore Orioles on Feb. 23. He began the game with a walk and hit-by-pitch, followed by a wild pitch. He recorded a pair of strikeouts but gave up a two-run single before escaping the inning. He gave up a solo home run in the second inning but recorded three outs in the frame.

It’s not like Phillips is just having bad luck, either. His FIP and xFIP sit at 7.82 and 7.05, respectively, indicating that hitters are doing damage against him, regardless of what happens once the ball’s in play. He won’t be in consideration for the final bullpen spot, so he will have to hope that he passes through waivers if he wants to stick with the Phillies organization to begin the season.