On the first day of Spring Training workouts for Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers and catchers at Camelback Ranch, it was revealed Evan Phillips is dealing with the same right shoulder injury that prevented him from pitching in the 2024 World Series.
Phillips received a PRP injection for the tear in the back of his right rotator cuff and underwent an MRI in December month that showed some signs of improvement.
However, the right-hander was not able to have a normal throwing program during the offseason and likely will miss the Dodgers’ opening series in Tokyo.
Phillips expressed hope that he will be able to start throwing off a mound in the near future, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“I should be on a mound soon here. From there, chip away at it. Maybe get in some games and we’ll see where we’re at.”
Phillips further noted his recovery has been smooth so far and he is optimistic of continuing with that:
“We’ll see how I progress, see how I bounce back,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a fluid progression at this point, based on how I respond. Things have been good so far. I’m just hoping that trend continues.”
Phillips is coming off an inconsistent 2024 season as he went 5-1 with a 3.62 ERA, 3.28 FIP, 1.19 WHIP, 10.4 strikeouts per nine and 18 saves in 54.2 innings pitched (61 games).
Phillips particularly struggled after the All-Star break as he posted a 4.68 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 30 appearances. He was dominant in August but had a rough finish to his 2024 season as he posted a 5.40 ERA over his last 11 games.
The 30-year-old did bounce back with 6.2 scoreless innings in the National League Division Series and Championship Series before suffering the injury.
Phillips was arbitration-eligible for the second time of his career and ended up signing a one-year, $6.1 million contract. He will go through the process one more time before potentially becoming a free agent after the 2026 season.
Evan Phillips’ outlook for 2025 season
When healthy, Phillips will presumably continue being used in high-leverage situations and could receive some save opportunities as well.
He is part of a revamped Dodgers bullpen that includes offseason additions Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, as well as holdovers Michael Kopech and Alex Vesia, among others.
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