Evan Phillips did not make the Los Angeles Dodgers roster for the 2024 World Series with what was believed to be right arm and shoulder fatigue, along with some nerve irritation.
The Dodgers debated whether to keep Phillips on the roster at the time, but due to MLB injury replacement rules, they decided it would be best to leave him off. Phillips believed he would have recovered with a couple more days and was thought to be an option if the World Series extended.
However, with pitchers and catchers now reported to Dodgers Spring Training, Phillips is still dealing with the fallout of his injury being a tear in his rotator cuff.
According to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group, Phillips still needs more time to continue recovering, but things continue trending the right way:
Phillips said the exams of his shoulder did not show sufficient damage to require surgery but he did receive a platelet-rich plasma injection when the team returned from New York. In December, he had a follow-up MRI that showed things were “trending in the right direction” but “I think they still saw some damage in there.”
Because Phillips continues to deal with his shoulder trouble, he was not able to have a normal throwing program during the offseason. That delay resulted in him being unlikely to pitch in the Tokyo Series:
As a result, his throwing program in December was limited to medicine balls and light plyometric balls. He didn’t pick up a baseball until Jan. 1 and has only progressed to throwing long toss as camp opens this week, putting him behind schedule to be ready for the start of the season – and making him a very long shot to be ready for the games in Tokyo on March 18 and 19.
“I know they’re looking out for my best interests in the training room, the front office guys. They want to take care of me so that when I am back I’m good to go,” Phillips said.
Phillips is coming off an inconsistent year 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).
The 30-year-old 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.
Phillips did bounce back with 6.2 scoreless innings in the National League Division Series and Championship Series before suffering the injury.
Dodgers and Evan Phillips agreed to contract
Phillips was arbitration-eligible for the second time of his career and ended up signing a one-year, $6.1 million contract. MLB Trade Rumors projected Phillips’ salary for the 2025 season to be in the neighborhood of $6.2 million.
He has one more year of team control remaining via arbitration before being eligible to become a free agent.
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!
