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Phillies injury updates: Realmuto, Haseley & more

Will J.T. Realmuto be ready for opening day? (Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire)

The Philadelphia Phillies will host the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park to open the 2021 season on April 1. This week, though, will be crucial in deciding the structure of the roster. At least some of what the team’s 26-man roster will look like on opening day will depend on how players progress from injuries. Here’s the latest:

J.T. Realmuto was slated to DH Sunday, which would have marked his first action this spring. Instead, the 30-year-old was scratched because of what Joe Girardi called “general soreness.” The Phillies like to schedule their lineups out for a week, so Realmuto isn’t currently slated to play Monday, but Girardi didn’t rule out the possibility of the two-time All-Star playing in tomorrow evening’s game against the New York Yankees.
Girardi told Phillies Nation alum Corey Seidman that he’d like to see Realmuto catch seven innings in a game and potentially catch on back-to-back days before the start of the season. All in all, though, there haven’t been any setbacks in Realmuto’s attempt to return from a fractured right thumb.
Zach Eflin and Spencer Howard, both of whom had back issues creep up last week, did throw off a mound Sunday. Girardi had yet to hear a report on how both looked and felt. By not getting a bad report, Girardi seemed to believe all went as expected, but we should know more on Monday.
Vince Velasquez, who has been dealing with an oblique injury, will throw off a mound Monday. That will give the Phillies a chance to evaluate his potential readiness for opening day, ahead of a crucial day Wednesday for determining how the bullpen will look. Of course, Velasquez remains in play as a starting option as well.

Brad Miller, also dealing with an oblique injury, “continues to do stuff,” Girardi said. To this point, there’s no reason to think he won’t be on the opening day roster.
Finally, Girardi said “I think it’s possible” when asked about Adam Haseley potentially playing in a Grapefruit League game later on this week. Haseley has progressed fairly rapidly from a moderate left groin strain that he suffered earlier this month.