Philadelphia Phillies

J.T. Realmuto

C

Realmuto initially tweaked his back on a play at the plate in Friday's 9-0 loss to Atlanta, then started Saturday but left early after aggravating the injury. He was held out of the lineup for the next two days before returning to action in Tuesday's 7-4 loss to the Cubs, but his back is apparently still presenting issues for him. The Phillies will shut Realmuto down for at least the next week and a half with the hope that the back problem resolves itself, though the veteran backstop is without an official timeline for a return. Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs will share the catching duties while Realmuto is on the mend.

Max Lazar

RP

A spot on the 40-man roster needed to be cleared for the addition of Garrett Stubbs. Lazar has been out all season with a left oblique strain and now isn't eligible to return until late May.

Jonathan Bowlan

RP

Bowlan is recovering from a right groin strain, which forced him to the 15-day injured list last week. The right-hander, who holds a solid 3.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 8:1 K:BB across seven innings this year, is first eligible to come off the IL ahead of the April 28 series opener versus San Francisco and could be ready to return by then.

Jose Alvarado

RP

Alvarado gave up one earned run on two hits and a walk in one-third of an inning before his back forced him to come out of the game. It's unknown if he will have to spend time on the IL, though the Phillies could sit him down for a few days as a precaution, regardless of the severity of his injury.

Zack Wheeler

SP

Wheeler made his fifth and final rehab start Sunday with Double-A Reading, throwing 77 pitches while allowing four runs across four innings. The veteran right-hander's performance was up-and-down during the rehab stint, as he finished with a 5.85 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 23:5 K:BB over 20 frames. Now fully recovered from surgery to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome, Wheeler should be able to handle a mostly normal workload in his first start of the season Saturday

Jhoan Duran

RP

The right-hander continues to impress to begin his first full season as the Phillies' closer. Duran is 5-for-5 in converting saves chances in 2026, posting a 1.35 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 8:0 K:BB through 6.2 innings.

Zach Pop

RP

Andrew Painter had been lined up to start the series finale, but Pop will take the hill to begin the game after Painter was a late scratch due to a migraine. Pop hasn't covered more than an inning in any of his appearances in spring training nor during any of his six relief outings so far during the regular season, so he's not expected to provide the Phillies with much length in his first MLB start.

Daniel Robert

RP

Medical personnel administered a defibrillator, and Robert is said to be stable and alert following his hospitalization. The right-hander hadn't appeared in any Grapefruit League games this spring after a cardiovascular issue was detected in his medical exams prior to the start of camp. In the wake of Robert experiencing another cardiac-related emergency Sunday, the Phillies are likely to proceed even more cautiously with his return to baseball activities.

Keaton Anthony

1B

Anthony is expected to undergo surgery later this week to repair the damage, and a timetable for his return could be revealed following the operation. Once healthy, Anthony is likely to be assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Andrew Bechtold

3B

Bechtold spent a bit of time as a two-way player with the Triple-A affiliate of the Twins in 2023, but he was lit up for 22 earned runs on 22 hits and 24 walks over 18 innings. The 27-year-old corner infielder had far more success at the plate, registering an .800 OPS across 73 games for the St. Paul Saints. It's unclear whether he'll continue with the pitching pursuit in Toronto's system.

Johan Rojas

CF

Word of Rojas' looming suspension came out earlier this month, and Rojas lost his appeal. He won't be eligible to play in the regular season until late June. With Rojas set to miss the first half of the season, Justin Crawford and Brandon Marsh should see somewhat regular playing time in the Philadelphia outfield. Rojas posted an underwhelming .569 OPS across 172 plate appearances at the big-league level last regular season.

Michael Mercado

RP

Mercado made three appearances out of the Philadelphia bullpen in 2025, but a right shoulder injury prevented him from making any Grapefruit League appearances and will end his bid for an Opening Day roster spot. The Phillies haven't shed much light regarding where Mercado stands in his throwing program, making it unclear if he'll be ready for the start of the minor-league season.

Mark Kolozsvary

C

Kolozsvary appeared in just 30 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester in the Red Sox organization in 2025 before landing on the full-season injured list in June. The Phillies don't have a clear replacement for free agent J.T. Realmuto behind the plate, but regardless the 30-year-old Kolozsvary hasn't made an appearance in the majors since 2022 and should be viewed as a long shot to break camp.

Christian McGowan

RP

It's the second Tommy John operation in McGowan's career, which means his absence will probably extend well beyond a year. Despite being used mostly as a starting pitcher, McGowan has not thrown more than 40.1 innings in a season since being taken in the seventh round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft.