Phillies’ Opening Day Postponed, Notable Injuries on Initial Roster; Turnerbull Takes Walker’s Spot in Starting Rotation
Due to rain, the Phillies’ Opening Day has been postponed, pushing back the start of their season by 24 hours. However, the team released their initial regular-season roster on Thursday afternoon, which included placing five players on the injured list.
The roster of 26 players consists of 13 pitchers, 2 catchers, 5 infielders, 4 outfielders, 1 utility player, and 1 designated hitter. Some notable pitchers on the roster are Jose Alvarado, Aaron Nola, and Zack Wheeler. Catchers J.T. Realmuto and Garrett Stubbs are included, along with infielders Alec Bohm and Bryce Harper. Outfielders Nick Castellanos and Cristian Pache are also part of the lineup.
Several right-handed pitchers were placed on the injured list due to various reasons including Taijuan Walker who suffered an elbow injury during spring training and was unable to participate in any games before his injury was officially diagnosed as a Tommy John surgery recovery. Orion Kerkering was also listed as he missed most of March due to illness while Dylan Covey suffered from a shoulder impingement during his rehab assignment at Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Michael Rucker was placed on the injured list as well due to an ankle sprain that occurred during a workout session earlier this week. Lastly Rafael Marchan was listed due to lower back pain that is retroactive to March 25th.
Due to Walker’s injury, Spencer Turnbull has been given a spot in the starting rotation and will pitch on Tuesday against the Reds. The rotation will also include Wheeler, Nola, Suarez and Sanchez for now but it may change depending on how soon Walker recovers from his injury or if other players get injured or ill before Opening Day starts . Kerkering who missed most of March due to illness will start in Triple-A and work his way back to the majors once he’s healthy again .
The Phillies are set to play their season opener on Friday against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park at 3:05 p
