Spring Training Round-Up: Seranthony Dominguez cruises through first outing

Seranthony Dominguez’s spring debut went smoothly on Thursday afternoon. He is still recovering from a UCL injury in his throwing arm that he suffered last June, after which it seemed initially that Dominguez might have to get Tommy John surgery, but he avoided it and is still on his way back from the injury.

Dominguez allowed a baserunner to start the inning on a throwing error by Phil Gosselin, but quickly got the next batter to roll into a double play before ending the inning on a flyout. His fastball was sitting 93-96 mph, and he looked comfortable on the mound in his first official outing since last June.

Manager Joe Girardi said that while he wasn’t sure what to expect with Dominguez coming off the injury, he was, “really pleased with it. The ball’s coming out really well.”

While this was officially Dominguez’s first outing of the spring, he threw in a simulated game last weekend. His velocity is not all the way back to where it has been during his career, but Girardi sees the positives. “Both outings have been good. I think they’re encouraging.”

Also from Thursday…

• It had been a relatively quiet spring thus far for the expected starters for the Phillies until yesterday, when J.T. Realmuto led off the game with a home run and Bryce Harper hit two of his own. This offensive onslaught continued into Thursday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, most notably with a majestic solo shot from first baseman Rhys Hoskins, his first of Spring Training.

• Hoskins was not the only Phillie to hit a home run on Thursday. In the first inning, it was Roman Quinn who slugged one out. Quinn flashed some power from the left side of the plate last season just a couple months after making the decision to become a right-handed batter full-time.

• In the fifth, Austin Listi added a solo shot of his own, also his first of the spring. Three batters later, Bryce Harper crushed an opposite-field home run, his third two-run shot in two games.

• Jean Segura was scratched from the lineup due to an illness. Manager Joe Girardi discussed Segura’s willingness to play third on the SportsRadio 94 WIP Morning Show Thursday. Girardi did not give a clear answer as to who will play where when the season is underway, but noted that Segura has mainly gotten reps at third because he is already comfortable at second base.

• Zack Wheeler was hurt by his defense in his second outing of Spring Training on Thursday, and was inefficient. In 2.1 innings pitched, Wheeler threw 51 pitches while allowing two runs on three hits. All of the damage came in the first inning, and Wheeler settled down for a clean second.

• Alec Bohm went 1-3 on the day and is now hitting .444 on the season. However, he still has yet to hit an extra-base hit this Spring.

• The biggest question with Bohm remains his defense, and he has struggled at third so far this Spring. On Thursday, he was unable to make a tough play and made a throwing error on another. There is no question that Bohm is near-ready at the plate, but his defense is still a major concern.

• Adam Morgan is another reliever who spent some time on the injured last season, and he was very effective in his appearance on Thursday. In a 1-2-3 inning, he struck out two batters, both right-handed. Morgan’s split differences vs righties and lefties have been massive throughout his career, but he will need to face more lefties this season than he has in his career due to the new three-batter minimum rule.

• Girardi mentioned that top prospect Spencer Howard threw to hitters on Thursday. He mentioned that it took time for Howard to settle in, but that once he did he was really effective. The plan as to how the Phillies will approach Howard’s 2020 workload remains unclear.

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