McBride will head to minor-league camp Tuesday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
McBride doesn't appear to be particularly close to returning to the big leagues, as the 33-year-old has a 28 wRC+ in 92 career games. He'll likely spend the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, his hometown team.
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Phillies' Gift Ngoepe: Heading to minor-league camp
Rotowire
Mar 21, 2019
Ngoepe will head to minor-league camp Tuesday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
Unsurprisingly, Ngoepe won't be able to crack the Opening Day roster. With a .181/.272/.236 line in 82 big-league plate appearances, there's no guarantee the Phillies will look to him when injuries strike their infield.
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Phillies' Phil Gosselin: Heading to minors
Rotowire
Mar 21, 2019
Gosselin has failed to make the Phillies' Opening Day roster and will report to minor-league camp Tuesday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
Gosselin is best suited to fill an organizational depth role at the Triple-A level, and that's likely what he'll do this season. He's not on the 40-man roster, so there's no guarantee he'll be called on when injuries strike the Phillies' infield.
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Phillies' Lane Adams: Heading to minor-league camp
Rotowire
Mar 21, 2019
Adams has been informed that he won't break camp with the Phillies, and he'll head to minor-league camp Tuesday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
The Phillies couldn't find room for Adams, so he'll head to the minors and wait for his next opportunity. He has a respectable .263/.333/.467 career line in 154 major-league plate appearances, so he could help a team in a bench role if given the opportunity.
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Phillies' Shane Robinson: Won't make team
Rotowire
Mar 21, 2019
Robinson was told Thursday that he won't make the Phillies' roster, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
Robinson will remain in camp through Monday before heading to minor-league camp. The veteran is unlikely to make a significant impact at the big-league level this season.
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Phillies' Adam Haseley: Reassigned to minor-league camp
Rotowire
Mar 21, 2019
Haseley was reassigned to minor-league camp Thursday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
Haseley isn't quite ready for the big-leagues, as his .461 spring OPS showed. He'll likely head to Double-A Reading to open the season after playing just 39 games there last year, though his .316/.403/.478 line in those games suggests he doesn't have much left to prove at that level.
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Phillies' Dylan Cozens: Sent to Triple-A
Rotowire
Mar 21, 2019
Cozens was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
It was always going to take two injuries for Cozens to make the team. Roman Quinn is expected to open on the injured list with an oblique injury, but Odubel Herrera is ready to go following an absence with a hamstring issue, so Cozens won't be needed right away. He could be called on later in the season during an injury crisis but will need to cut down on his 54.5 percent strikeout rate through 44 plate appearances if he's to be a viable option.
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Phillies' Vince Velasquez: Spring struggles continue
Rotowire
Mar 21, 2019
Velasquez allowed three runs in just 3.1 innings of work Thursday against the Blue Jays, walking three and allowing five hits, two of which were home runs.
It wasn't all bad for Velasquez, as he did still strike out nine batters, but his Grapefruit League ERA now sits at 12.79. The Phillies are considering skipping his first start of the regular season as the team has three off days in the first eight days of the season, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. Even if he's not skipped, Velasquez's rotation spot seems to be clearly the most tenuous among the Phillies' five starters, with Jerad Eickhoff looming if he can prove his health.
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Phillies' Drew Anderson: Sent to minors
Rotowire
1H ago
Anderson was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Anderson has a poor 7.80 ERA in 15 career major-league innings, though he looked quite good in camp, allowing just a single run in 12.2 innings while recording a 12:2 K:BB. If he carries that strong performance into the minor-league season, he could push for starts later in the year.
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Phillies' James Pazos: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
1H ago
Pazos was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Pazos had a strong 2.88 ERA for the Mariners last season but was crowded out in a deep Phillies bullpen. The team will likely rotate through its relievers who have options this season, so expect Pazos to return periodically throughout the year.
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Phillies' Andrew Knapp: Hitting well in camp
Rotowire
21H ago
Knapp is hitting .323/.382/.516 in 11 spring games.
Knapp spent some time in the minors last season after Wilson Ramos was brought in from Tampa Bay, but he looks set to back up J.T. Realmuto this season with a relatively secure roster spot. His primary competition, Drew Butera, doesn't have a 40-man roster spot and fits better as an organizational depth option.
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Phillies' Nick Pivetta: Strikes out eight in spring start
Rotowire
14H ago
Pivetta allowed three runs on three hits and a pair of walks in a five-inning start Wednesday against the Astros, striking out eight batters.
The start wasn't Pivetta's best in terms of runs allowed, but his Grapefruit League ERA still sits at a strong 3.31. The righty will make one more spring start and will then be lined up to pitch the Phillies' second game of the season March 30 against the Braves, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. The fact that Pivetta will pitch ahead of Jake Arrieta in the rotation is a vote of confidence from the organization, indicating that the Phillies think the Canadian's 3.80 FIP last season is more representative of his true talent than his 4.77 ERA.
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Phillies' Andrew McCutchen: Named leadoff hitter
Rotowire
1D ago
Manager Gabe Kapler said Wednesday that McCutchen will open the season as the Phillies' leadoff hitter, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Kapler cited McCutchen's combination of on-base skills and slugging as the main reasoning behind deploying the outfielder atop the order rather than Cesar Hernandez, who draws walks at a high clip and makes good contact but isn't as much of a power threat. While McCutchen will need to perform well to stick in the top slot on a permanent basis, the Phillies' early commitment to using him in the leadoff role is a major boon to his fantasy value. Assuming health prevails, McCutchen should have a good chance to reach double digits in steals again and surpass the 100-run plateau for just the second time in his career.
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Phillies' Cesar Hernandez: Won't be leadoff man
Rotowire
1D ago
Manager Gabe Kapler said he expects Hernandez to slot in as the Phillies' No. 6 or 7 hitter once the regular season begins, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Kapler's batting order may have some fluidity as the season unfolds, but Hernandez's move to the bottom half of the lineup to begin the campaign represents a sizable blow to his fantasy value. His run-scoring and base-stealing opportunities in particular will likely take a massive hit since he won't have the luxury of batting in front of the stellar quartet of Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, Jean Segura and J.T. Realmuto. The Phillies plan to use Andrew McCutchen as their table setter, with Kapler citing the veteran outfielder's combination of on-base skills and power as the main reasoning behind the decision.
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Phillies' Rhys Hoskins: Nursing minor shoulder injury
Rotowire
1D ago
Manager Gabe Kapler said that Hoskins is dealing with mild shoulder soreness and will be held out of the Phillies' Grapefruit League lineups until at least Friday's game against the Yankees, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
It's not ideal that Hoskins is hurting with Opening Day just over a week away, but Kapler noted that the slugger is merely being rested for precautionary purposes. At this juncture, the Phillies aren't concerned about Hoskins' availability for the start of the season, though Maikel Franco would be next in line for reps at first base in the event the 26-year-old doesn't progress as quickly as anticipated.
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Phillies' Aaron Altherr: Mediocre start to spring
Rotowire
2D ago
Altherr has a strong .390 on-base percentage but is hitting just .250 and slugging just .281 so far this spring.
Altherr's job is likely safe for now, with Roman Quinn (oblique) expected to open the year on the injured list. He has slightly more experience in center field than fellow bench outfielder Nick Williams, but both Andrew McCutchen and Bryce Harper have spent time in center in the past, so there's no guarantee Altherr will get called on when Odubel Herrera needs a day off.
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Phillies' Vince Velasquez: Poor start to spring
Rotowire
20H ago
Velasquez has allowed six runs on six hits and four walks in just three innings of work so far this spring.
Velasquez has only appeared twice, but both of those appearances have been poor. He's still expected to open the season in the Phillies' rotation, but Jerad Eickhoff looms as a threat to take over for any starter who stumbles out of the gate.
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Phillies' Tommy Hunter: Trip to injured list expected
Rotowire
2D ago
Hunter (elbow) is expected to open the year on the injured list, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
Hunter has been dealing with a Grade 1 flexor strain since late February. He's recently resumed playing catch but won't have time to get up to speed by Opening Day. It's unclear when he's expected to return.
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Phillies' Roman Quinn: Expected to open on injured list
Rotowire
2D ago
Quinn (oblique) is expected to open the season on the injured list, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
A decent small-sample run at the end of last season generated some buzz for Quinn heading into this year, but the injury bug bit him yet again, and it's now unclear when he'll make his season debut. Odubel Herrera will win the center field job by default, but Quinn could still make a push at some point this year when Herrera goes on one of his customary cold streaks.
