Philadelphia Phillies DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that first baseman Bryce Harper and catcher J.T. Realmuto are expected to make their Grapefruit League debuts on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves. Harper and Realmuto are just getting a few days in camp to ramp up. Harper is making the full-time transition from the outfield to first base in 2024, but it's unclear if he'll be eased in as the designated hitter early in spring games. The 31-year-old former MVP got a late start to last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2022 but finished with a strong .293/.401/.499 slash line with a .900 OPS, 21 home runs, 72 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 126 games. Harper is no longer eligible in the outfield for fantasy managers, but with him ready to go to start the 2024 season, he should be viewed as a top-five fantasy first baseman in 2024.

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner saw his first game action of the spring on Sunday in a 4-0 Grapefruit League win over the New York Yankees. The 2x All-Star went 0-for-2 with a walk but did not steal a bag or come around to score after getting on base. Last season, Turner got off to a slow start but eventually was able to turn things around during his first season in Philly. The former NL batting champ slashed .247/.299/.389 in the first half with a .297 WOBA and 84 wRC+, but in the second half it was .292/.348/.554 with a .381 WOBA and 140 wRC+, so he'll look to carry that momentum into 2024. Combined with his ability to steal bases, he goes off draft boards late in the first round (NFBC ADP of 12). RotoBaller ranks him at 14, however, if he can outperform his ATC projection of 28 stolen bases (he had 30 in '23), then he could pay off his high price tag.

Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (neck) and catcher Rafael Marchan (back) are both being held out of action due to their respective injuries, manager Rob Thomson told Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Bohm is dealing with neck spasms and won't play this weekend. It doesn't sound like this injury is too serious, and the talented infielder should be back in the mix soon. There's less clarity on Marchan, who is merely "being held out of action for now," according to Gelb. Marchan hasn't played in the majors since 2021, but he slashed .297/.391/.440 with an 11.6 BB% and 9.7 K% through 51 games at Triple-A last year.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (knee) has progressed to jogging at spring training. Marsh had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in early February and was expected to need three to four weeks before making a full recovery. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter obviously won't be ready for the start of Grapefruit League games this weekend, but the Phillies are expecting him to be ready for Opening Day, barring a setback in his recovery from the minor surgery. When he's healthy, Marsh figures to be the team's starting left fielder against right-handed pitching, but he'll lose at-bats to Whit Merrifield against left-handers. Even though Marsh lowered his strikeout rate in 2023, he still struck out a third of the time. He's still an asset in mixed fantasy leagues because of his above-average power and his speed, and he's great defensively for the Phils as well.

The Philadelphia Phillies have signed relief pitchers Austin Brice and Ricardo Pinto. Brice, who last pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022, was inked to a minor league deal while Pinto was just added to the camp roster. Brice owns a career 5.12 ERA over 168 2/3 major league innings of relief and Pinto, who pitched for the Phillies back in 2017, owns a career 8.44 ERA in just 32 big league innings. Neither of these players should make much of a fantasy impact if they end up making the big league roster.