Evan Phillips DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed relief pitcher Evan Phillips (shoulder) will throw his first bullpen session of the spring on Friday, according to the Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett. Phillips knows that he will not be ready for Opening Day in the two-game series against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, Japan, but he is progressing well in his recovery from a subscapularis tear and isn't far behind schedule. The 30-year-old was unavailable for the World Series last fall against the New York Yankees, but he might be able to make his 2025 debut in early April. After the offseason signings of Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, Phillips will be pushed further down the bullpen pecking order whenever he returns and probably won't be an option for many saves, if any at all. Phillips also missed time with a hamstring injury in 2024 and lost the closing gig upon his return.

According to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Evan Phillips (shoulder) is still recovering from the injury that kept him sidelined during the World Series and is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day. Plunkett noted that the 30-year-old suffered a tear in the back of his rotator cuff. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection in November and only began doing baseball activities in January. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during spring training, but it seems unlikely that he will be ready for Opening Day. Last season, Phillips posted a 3.62 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP across 54 2/3 innings. He tallied 63 punchouts and 18 saves. He generated a strong 32.7 percent hard-hit rate with a solid 3.29 xERA. While Phillips is sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Tanner Scott to see most of the save opportunities, with Kirby Yates, Blake Treinen, and Alex Vesia also seeing high-leverage work.

Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said that right-handed reliever Evan Phillips (shoulder) is "fine" and should be good to go for spring training in February. Phillips missed the World Series in October due to a right-shoulder injury but didn't require surgery. He has yet to start a throwing program, but as a reliever, he still has plenty of time to do so and still be ready for the start of spring training. The 30-year-old was officially shut down in the postseason with arm fatigue. Phillips wasn't quite as good in his third year in LA in 2024, posting a 3.62 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, 18 saves and 63:17 K:BB in 54 2/3 regular-season innings out of the bullpen. Despite the disappointing numbers, Evans saved a career-high 24 games for the Blue in 2023 and should have a high-leverage bullpen role yet again in 2025 for the best team in baseball.