March 05, 2026
Isaiah J. Downing/Imagn Images
With Cris Sanchez at the WBC and with Zack Wheeler still coming back from surgery, Jesus Luzardo becomes the rotation's top starter at camp.
The World Baseball Classic is upon us, and that means more than a dozen Phillies have packed their bags and headed elsewhere to represent several different nations in the international baseball exhibition.
The action in Clearwater won't be the same without studs like Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber in the lineup every day, or without Cy Young runner up Cris Sánchez toeing the rubber.
But whether you're headed to South Florida to catch some games at BayCare Ballpark or just spending some free in front of the TV over the next 10 days or so, there are plenty of Phillies who'll be seeing more playing time thanks to the WBC absences.
Here's a list of Phillies who'll be staying behind and deserve your attention:
Remember when Stott made an adjustment midseason after struggling all first half and then slashed .294/.368/.487 in the second half? It's apparently carried over. Going into Thursday, Stott has five hits in eight at-bats, with two homers, three RBI and five walks. His OPS is 2.269. Can he stay that hot?
With Zack Wheeler only starting to throw off a mound and Aaron Nola representing – ahem – Team Italy in the WBC, Painter steps into the spotlight as the right-hander to watch. The organization's top pitching prospect tossed two scoreless frames in his spring debut Sunday and will throw again Sunday vs. Max Scherzer (!) in Clearwater.
The ace closer decided not to represent the Dominican Republic to be ready for the 2026 season. Apparently, he's also working on a new pitch, per NBC Sports Philly's Cole Weintraub:
Jhoan Duran won’t commit just yet, but the “secret” pitch that he’s talked about and featured in today’s outing is a “split-change.”
— Cole Weintraub (@WeintraubCole) March 4, 2026
The Phillies’ closer had a fun time with reporters talking about this “possibility.” It’s not a pitch that he’s thrown since ‘21.
With Bryce Harper gone, Bohm should see more time at first base and bat third or fourth. He ripped his first dinger of the spring vs. Canada in an exhibition and already had three spring RBI, slashing .333/.364/.444.
Here's the long ball:
Bohmerrrrr 💥 pic.twitter.com/1fxz2FHZ65
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 4, 2026
With Johan Rojas facing a suspension, Moore's chance to make the team just went up. The 33-year-old utility and non-roster invitee has played all three outfield spots in his career, and could help as the team's backup infielder/outfielder. He's struggling so far, but with Edmundo Sosa repping Panama and Rojas potentially away, Moore should get plenty of chances. He has three seasons of 20 or more stolen bases.
This should be a huge year for the 28-year-old lefty who'll be a free agent after the season if he doesn't sign an extension. With Sánchez at the WBC, and with Ranger Suarez now pitching for the Red Sox, Luzardo becomes the rotation's top starter at camp. He debuts Thursday against the Red Sox in Clearwater and should make another appearance next week.
José Alvarado is in camp and posted on social media that an insurance issue is keeping him from representing Venezuela, but Phillies beat Todd Zolecki of MLB.com wrote that the hard-throwing lefty could still play in the semifinals or finals. If he leaves, it opens the door for more of Backhus, a sidearming lefty whose dizzying arm angles are fun to watch and give the Phils a dimension they've lacked in their pen. So far, he hasn't allowed a run in three innings.
The Phils will need some pop without Schwarber and Harper in the lineup every day. Kemp, who can play infield and outfield, is expected to platoon with Brandon Marsh in left for the season but the Phils really like his potential. He only has two hits this spring, but one is a homer. He could also play third with Bohm manning first base in Harper's absence.
The right-handed setup situation looks bleak at the moment, with Brad Keller playing for Team USA and with Orion Kerkerking sidelined by a hamstring strain. Bowlan was acquired from the Royals in the Matt Strahm trade and so far has allowed one run on two hits in two innings. Maybe he picks it up over the next two weeks.
It's been a while since Philly had a Carson to cheer for. DeMartini, a 2024 fourth-round pick and once a higher-ranked prospect, killed it in Single-A but struggled last year after his Double-A Reading promotion. He's off to a slow start this spring but could get more chances at third base when Bohm moves over to first.
He's an interesting story – a great hitter at Iowa who's career was short-circuited by an NCAA investigation into gambling, for which he was eventually cleared but led to him being undrafted. He has a .324/.402/.467 slash line in three minor league seasons with the Phils and could see more time at first with Harper absent. He doesn't have archetype first base power, but the guy can flat-out hit.
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