Philadelphia Phillies DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays (hamstring) remains sidelined for Thursday's series finale against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park. Santiago Espinal is starting in left field and will hit fifth against Cardinal left-hander Matthew Liberatore. Hays injured his left hamstring while running the bases on Monday and will now miss his third straight game as a result. The Reds remain hopeful that the 29-year-old can avoid a trip to the injured list, but that stance could change if he's unable to return during a three-game weekend series against the visiting Washington Nationals. Fantasy managers want Hays back in the lineup as soon as possible, as he's gone 19-for-52 (.365) early on with five homers, 13 RBI and 15 runs scored for the Reds. Espinal is also hitting over .300 in 64 at-bats in 2025 but has yet to homer. He's hitless in just three career at-bats against Liberatore.

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI in Wednesday's 7-2 romp over the Nationals. Realmuto tacked on the final run of the game with a solo home run in the eighth inning off Eduardo Salazar. The long ball was Realmuto's second home run of the season and his first since April 15. On the year, the 34-year-old catcher is hitting .237 with eight RBI and a .297 wOBA. Realmuto still has some juice left in his bat at a thin catcher position, but he isn't an elite option any more at this point in his career. He's servicable in mixed leagues but not a must-play if other options with higher ceilings are available.

Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in a 7-2 win over the Nationals on Wednesday. It was his ninth home run of the season, and he is now slashing .245/.398/.538 on the season. The slugger has taken a step forward in plate discipline through the first month of the year, as his 18.0% walk rate and 21.8% strikeout rate are both better than their 2024 counterparts of 15.3% and 28.5%, respectively. He is also seeing more time in the cleanup spot instead of being the primary leadoff hitter, which has allowed him to drive in 23 runs in 30 games. He remains one of the premier sources of power for fantasy.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (hamstring) will resume his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Scott Lauber. Marsh will play again on Friday and could rejoin the Phillies' big-league roster after that. A strained right hamstring landed Marsh on the 10-day injured list, and the 27-year-old experienced cramping in the same hamstring while playing for Lehigh Valley last Sunday. He's feeling good enough to play in games again, though, and he could rejoin the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park this weekend for their series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. It's been a tough year so far for Marsh, who in addition to his hamstring injury has gone 4-for-42 (.095) with a homer and five RBI. Before landing on the IL, he had gone hitless in his last 31 at-bats. It remains to be seen how much he'll play when he returns to Philly.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (back) is scheduled to make his season debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. This is good news for the Phillies as Suarez has been sidelined since spring training due to a back issue. He has been pitching well during his rehab outings, so the team feels Suarez is ready to return. It won't be an ideal matchup for Suarez against a tough D-Backs lineup. Despite that, Suarez is worth rostering in most standard 12-team formats right now. The assumption is that Taijuan Walker moves into the bullpen which is something he did during part of the season last year.