Evan Phillips Begin Rehab Assignment With Single-A Rancho Cucamonga
Evan Phillips has emerged as one of the most efficient relievers in the Major Leagues since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen full-time in 2022, and he is poised to have another strong season as the club’s most dependable reliever in 2024.
However, even Phillips was not immune to the poor luck that Dodgers relievers have had this season after being placed on the 15-day disabled list with a hamstring strain on May 3.
Initially, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated that the team hoped Phillips would return as soon as he was eligible to come off the injured list, but that has not happened, and he could be out for another week or longer before returning to the Majors.
The good news is that both sides are satisfied with Phillips commencing his rehab assignment, according to Doug Padilla of the Southern California News Group.
Phillips’ minor league rehab assignment with Class A Rancho Cucamonga begins this weekend. He is scheduled to throw live batting practice on Friday and pitch a game on Sunday.
Phillips is scheduled to pitch twice over the course of three days.
“(That) is something that we’re certainly going to ask him to do,” Roberts stated. “The back-to-back is something I think that we’ll kind of feel that one out.”
The Dodgers have decided to proceed with caution and give Phillips all of the time he requires throughout his rehab in order to avoid setbacks and risk pushing his timeline back any further. It makes a lot of sense because he is their greatest reliever and they are already missing several key players.
In Phillips’ absence, the Dodgers have taken a closer-by-committee strategy, with only four save opportunities in 18 games.
All four opportunities were converted, with Daniel Hudson receiving half of them. The bullpen’s overall performance has been good, allowing the Dodgers to take their time with Phillips’ rehabilitation.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Dodgers chose to keep Phillips local, assigning him to Class-A Rancho Cucamonga rather than Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Evan Phillips’ 2024 numbers
Phillips is off to a strong start in 2024, allowing only one earned run over 13.2 innings. He also has 17 strikeouts, a 1.02 WHIP, and a perfect 8-for-8 save record.
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