With April appearing more and more realistic for Zack Wheeler's return — barring setbacks, of course — the Phillies may be able to avoid the early starting pitching depth issues that looked more apparent three weeks ago.
The Phillies brought a dozen relievers to spring training to battle for two open spots in their bullpen and the group has pitched early and often in camp, covering four more innings on Sunday.
Team USA was tied 1-1 in their World Baseball Classic matchup against Team Great Britain. Until Kyle Schwarber stepped up to the plate. The Philadelphia Phillies slugger blasted a moonshot 427 feet to give Team USA a 3-1 lead.
As Spring Training opens for 2026, all 30 teams have high hopes and big questions. These are the storylines to follow for each team heading into Opening Day.
It doesn't seem like Phillies top prospect Aidan Miller will be ready to go to start the Triple A season based on the lack of progress he's made recovering from a bout of lower back soreness.
Team USA improved to 2-0 in Pool B of the 2026 World Baseball Classic with a 9-1 drubbing of Great Britain on Saturday, highlighted by a momentum-shifting thunderous home run from Kyle Schwarber.
Andrew Painter was not at his sharpest on Saturday afternoon in his second start of the spring, but a 22-year-old looking to cement himself as a major-league starter will take the results as he gets back to work ahead of a third exhibition outing this week.
Andrew Painter looked good yet again in his spring start and should pretty much have a rotation spot wrapped up. On to the links. Phillies news: Andrew Painter really likes the sweets.
In a lineup packed with established major-leaguers, the hitter who stood out most for Team Italy in its first game of World Baseball Classic pool play was 5-foot-9 Phillies prospect Dante Nori, the only one in the batting order with no MLB experience.
The 2026 MLB season is right around the corner, and it is never too early to start thinking about how it might unfold. Seemingly, every year, we have a decent handle on who should contend and who is likely to struggle, which makes looking ahead to the trade deadline inevitable.
Kyle Schwarber hit the tie-breaking two-run homer in the fifth inning on Saturday night for the United States, which overcame a slow start to beat Great Britain 9-1 in World Baseball Classic Pool B play in Houston.
The Phillies are expected to have an opening for their final roster spot with outfielder Johan Rojas facing a PED suspension. Multiple veterans are vying for the job in Spring Training, but manager Rob Thomson added an interesting name to the race on Friday.
The World Baseball Classic provides professional baseball players the opportunity to represent their country, but it could also give them an extended look at the competition they will face during the MLB season.
Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber are both in the World Baseball Classic. They played on Friday night against an (ostensibly) overmatched Brazil team. Edmundo Sosa is on Team Panama.
Andrew Painter’s follow-up act to his scoreless 2026 spring debut was another scoreless outing, this one an inning longer against the Blue Jays. In three frames, he surrendered one hit (a single) and one walk — on four pitches to the game’s leadoff hitter, whom he promptly picked off.
Philadelphia Phillies star Zack Wheeler is building up for the 2026 season after undergoing thoracic outlet decompression surgery last year. He could be ready to return within the first month or two of the regular season, as Wheeler has continued to take steps forward during spring training.
Spring training always reveals a few surprise experiments, and the Philadelphia Phillies might have one brewing. With uncertainty hanging over center fielder Johan Rojas, the club is already exploring contingency plans.
The Philadelphia Phillies are creating versatility defensively by having Garrett Stubbs work out at first base, third base and left field. Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters this information following a March 6 spring training game.
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas was competing for a roster spot this spring and was set to play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
The Philadelphia Phillies may have received encouraging news on ace Zack Wheeler, who threw his first bullpen session Thursday since undergoing thoracic outlet decompression surgery on his right shoulder in September. Wheeler told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki afterward, “I felt good."
After team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski labeled him “not elite” this offseason, Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper didn’t dwell on it — he mapped out exactly how he plans to prove otherwise.