Multiple Philadelphia Phillies Players Getting Late Starts in Camp Due to Illness

The Philadelphia Phillies are dealing with illnesses that have delayed their start to camp.

Sep 29, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (59) walks back to the dugout after a visit to the mound against the Washington Nationals during the sixth inning at Nationals Park | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Spring Training has arrived for the Philadelphia Phillies, and so have the expectations that come with having a star-studded roster such as theirs.

While Nick Castellanos might say the team isn't facing pressure, there is always motivation to win the championship every year, especially for a group that came so close in 2022 and have the talent to bring home the city's first World Series title since 2008.

Camp is an exciting time for everyone in the baseball world.

Fans get to see their favorite team back in action, and the players are ready to put what they worked on during the offseason into practice so they can have a good year.

Spring is also an important time for everyone to prepare their bodies for the rigors that come with a daunting 162-game schedule, so staying on the field during this ramp-up period is paramount to hitting the ground running when Opening Day arrives.

Some Phillies players are experiencing early setbacks because of illness.

Per Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia, there is a bug running through the clubhouse right now that has already affected over a dozen players, including Bryce Harper, Orion Kerkering and Aaron Nola, who was told to keep his distance on Monday and Tuesday.

"Yeah, we're keeping guys out of the clubhouse. I think that's the number one key to keep it from spreading. Last year, we were a little more lenient and it really spread, it spread quickly. We're just telling them to stay home," manager Rob Thomson said.

The good news is Harper returned to baseball activities on Tuesday, hitting a home run in his first plate appearance of live batting practice.

"It was just a 24-hour flu. He looked really good, had a lot of energy today," Thomson said about the superstar.

Hopefully that's the case for the rest of the players dealing with this illness.

Philadelphia got off to a hot start last year, something they likely want to do again since they built up such a large lead in the division that they were able to coast to an NL East title even when they weren't the same juggernaut in the second half of the season that they were in the first.

This will be something to monitor for the rest of the week.

The Phillies play their first Spring Training game on Saturday.