Debuting Relievers, Bench Battlers and More Phillies to Monitor Thursday

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Thursday was the Phillies' sixth game of spring training and their first using a member of the projected Opening Day rotation.

Taijuan Walker is first up. He drew the start against the Washington Nationals on Thursday then will depart for the World Baseball Classic this weekend. Walker is pitching for Team Mexico, which is in Pool B in Houston along with the USA, Italy, Great Britain and Brazil.

That pool also includes Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Brad Keller (USA), who will likely leave by camp by Saturday night. The Phillies have two participants for Italy, too: Aaron Nola and 2024 first-round pick Dante Nori.

Nola will make his first spring start on Friday, followed Saturday by Cristopher Sanchez, who will also leave this weekend to play for the Dominican Republic in the WBC. Then comes the big one on Sunday, Andrew Painter's first and only Grapefruit League start since injuring his elbow in 2023.

Thursday's lineup

The Phillies' lineup Thursday included three starters and four players fighting to make the team out of spring training:

1. Trea Turner, SS
2. Bryson Stott, 2B (L)
3. Bryce Harper, 1B (L)
4. Bryan De La Cruz, RF
5. Garrett Stubbs, C (L)
6. Dylan Moore, 3B
7. Johan Rojas, CF
8. Dante Nori, LF (L)
9. Kehden Hettiger DH (L)

Taijuan Walker, RHP

The bench battlers

De La Cruz, Rojas and Moore are the three in play for the Phillies' final bench spot. Stubbs is the challenger to Rafael Marchan at backup catcher.

De La Cruz was an everyday player in 2023 and '24 with the Marlins, has struggled since and is trying to reestablish himself as a viable major-league reserve.

Phillies fans know Rojas' skill set of speed and defense from the 250 games he's played in the majors since 2023. He continues to work hard on his bunting and was out near the half-field at BayCare Ballpark at 8:45 a.m. Thursday working on rapid one-handed bunting with feeds from bullpen catcher/assistant catching coach Brad Flanders.

Moore is the most experienced of the three with nearly 2,000 major-league plate appearances as a utilityman, all but 30 of them with the Seattle Mariners. The Phillies signed the 33-year-old to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training at the beginning of February.

Debuting relievers

After Walker on Thursday, the Phillies plan to use lefty relievers Jose Alvarado and Tanner Banks, as well as right-handers Jonathan Bowlan, Chase Shugart and Jonathan Hernandez.

It will be the first Grapefruit League appearance of the year for Alvarado and Bowlan. Alvarado recently was denied contract insurance for the World Baseball Classic so he won't be pitching for Team Venezuela, but he's checked out healthy along the way for the Phillies, according to manager Rob Thomson.

Bowlan is one of the most interesting pitchers to watch in camp. He's a lock to make the team based on his being out of minor-league options and the fact that the Phillies traded Matt Strahm for him. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound mountain of a right-hander solidified a spot in the majors last season by giving the Royals a 3.86 ERA in 34 appearances, 16 of which lasted longer than one inning.

Bowlan's .182 opponents' batting average ranked second among all major-league rookies who faced at least as many batters as he did.

The 29-year-old figures to be the fourth-most important right-handed reliever in the Phillies' bullpen after Jhoan Duran, Brad Keller and Orion Kerkering. He could be one of Thomson's choices as a "dirty-inning" guy to come in to finish one off with men on base before beginning the next.