Philadelphia Phillies DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Philadelphia Phillies right-handed pitching prospect Mick Abel is expected to earn the call from Triple-A and start Thursday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. As a result, Taijuan Walker will shift to the bullpen. When Aaron Nola (ankle) hit the 15-day injured list, the Phillies promoted Abel to make a spot start but expected Walker to operate as the full-time replacement. During his first career outing in the majors, Abel looked quite comfortable, tossing six shutout innings with five hits and nine punchouts against the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, Walker has allowed nine earned runs over his last 12 innings and will return to a relief role. Given his impressive MLB debut, fantasy managers in standard formats should consider adding Abel as he could have a path to remain in the rotation until Nola returns.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (elbow) threw a ball and swung a bat on Saturday, according to Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic. He has been sidelined since last Tuesday but appears to be trending in the right direction. Not only did he participate in some baseball activities today, but manager Rob Thomson also said the superstar "generally feels better." Furthermore, his X-rays came back negative, and he's expected to avoid a stint on the injured list. It's unclear if Harper will make it back into the lineup this weekend, but he should return to action relatively soon. The Phillies have a day off Monday before taking the field Tuesday in Toronto.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (elbow) remains out of the starting nine on Saturday when they continue a series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Harper exited Tuesday's game after taking a pitch on his elbow. He has yet to return to the starting lineup but did receive negative X-rays on his elbow, which suggests the injury is not overly serious. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to their game on Sunday. This afternoon, Alec Bohm will cover first base and will bat in the four-hole. This opens the hot corner for Edmundo Sosa, who will bat in the nine-hole. The Phillies are worth stacking in DFS this afternoon as the Brewers will rely on a bullpen game. Right-handed pitcher Chad Patrick is slated to receive the bulk of the workload.

Philadelphia Phillies right-handed pitching prospect Mick Abel tossed 4 2/3 one-run innings (zero earned runs) against Triple-A Norfolk on Friday. In this outing, Abel struck out eight batters and allowed four hits with three free passes. This was his second straight outing at Triple-A with at least eight punchouts. Abel made his MLB debut on May 18 against the Pittsburgh Pirates and looked quite sharp, tossing six shutout frames with nine punchouts. Through 57 innings at Triple-A this season, Abel has performed at an elite level, holding a 2.21 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP. During this stretch, Abel has tallied 67 total punchouts. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, as he could be in the mix to return to the majors with Aaron Nola (ankle) on the 15-day injured list. Taijuan Walker has replaced Nola in the rotation but has allowed nine runs over his last 12 frames. If Walker continues to struggle, Abel will likely be given a second stint in the major leagues.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (elbow) remains out of the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, according to The Athletic's Matt Gelb. Harper has not taken a swing since being hit by a pitch during Tuesday's series opener against the Atlanta Braves and probably won't swing on Friday. He is taking ground balls at first with a sleeve on his arm, and when he returns, he will be wearing a new elbow brace. The two-time MVP doesn't think he'll need to go on the injured list but called himself "super day-to-day" right now. It seems like Harper is at least a couple more days away from a return, at best, so there's no guarantee he'll play in the weekend series against Milwaukee. Alec Bohm is starting at first again and is batting cleanup, with Edmundo Sosa at the hot corner and batting ninth against Brewers left-handed opener DL Hall.