Evan Phillips has become one of the more effective relievers in the Majors since he became a full-time member of the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen in 2022 and he is on pace to have another excellent season as the club’s most reliable reliever in 2024.
However, not even Phillips was immune to the bad fortune Dodgers’ relievers have been experiencing this season after he was placed on the 15-day injured list with a hamstring injury on May 3.
Initially, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team was hopeful Phillips could return as soon as he was eligible to come off the injured list, but that has not come to pass and it could be another week or longer before he finds his way back to the Majors.
The good news is that both parties are comfortable with Phillips beginning his rehab assignment, according to Doug Padilla of the Southern California News Group:
Help is on the way with Phillips set to start a minor league rehab assignment with Class A Rancho Cucamonga this weekend. He is expected to throw live batting practice on Friday and pitch in a game Sunday.
The plan is to have Phillips pitch twice in a three-day stretch.
“(That) is something that we’re certainly going to ask him to do,” Roberts said. “The back-to-back is something I think that we’ll kind of feel that one out.”
The Dodgers have elected to proceed with caution and give Phillips all the time he needs during his rehab in order to avoid any setbacks and risk pushing his timeline back further. It makes a lot of sense as he is their best reliever and they are already without other key contributors.
In Phillips’ absence the Dodgers have gone with somewhat of a closer by committee approach, although they have only been in four save situations out of the 18 games since he had been gone.
All four opportunities were converted, with Daniel Hudson getting half of them. The performance of the bullpen overall has been excellent and this makes it a lot easier for the Dodgers to take their time with Phillips’ rehabilitation.
It is also worth noting that the Dodgers elected to keep Phillips local and send him to Class-A Rancho Cucamonga instead of Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Evan Phillips’ 2024 numbers
Phillips is off to a great start in 2024 with only one earned run allowed in 13.2 innings. He also has 17 strikeouts, a 1.02 WHIP, and has been a perfect 8-for-8 on save opportunities.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
