Mick Abel to miss start of Triple-A season, plus other minor-league notes

Mick Abel is one of the top prospects in the Phillies organization. (Cheryl Pursell)

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — As the Lehigh Valley IronPigs headed north for the start of the Triple-A season, right-hander Mick Abel stayed behind in Clearwater, Florida, at the Phillies’ facilities.

Abel, Philadelphia’s first-round pick in 2020, was and is still expected to be the top prospect at Lehigh Valley this year, but was not included on the club’s initial roster. He won’t pitch in the opening Triple-A series. Manager Anthony Contreras explained that the 22-year-old is continuing to get his arm ready for the season.

“So, Mick’s down in Florida still right now,” he told reporters at IronPigs media day on Wednesday afternoon at Coca-Cola Park, “kind of trying to fill his (simulated) game and trying to get his innings to where we want him. He won’t be starting for us this weekend, but he will be at some point in the near future.”

The IronPigs are scheduled to take on Worcester in a three-game opening set at home starting Friday night. Right-hander Tyler Phillips will start on the mound for the first game. Left-hander Kolby Allard will take the ball on Saturday, while right-hander David Buchanan — back in the Phillies organization after stints in Japan and South Korea — gets the Sunday start.

Media Day Notes

Right-hander Griff McGarry is optimistic after a move to the bullpen. His performance and strike-throwing ability dropped drastically as the 2023 season went on. Phillies manager Rob Thomson informed him of the organization’s decision to use him as a reliever moving forward.

“I’m excited for it,” McGarry said. “It’s definitely an opportunity to pitch a lot more. A lot more appearances, which would be good. I’ve had some experience before coming out of the ‘pen. So it’s nothing new to me, so I’m looking forward to it. I’m excited. It’s gonna be fun here.”

Right-hander Michael Mercado said the Phillies are encouraging him to trust his fastball more. He turned some heads in Spring Training after coming over in a trade with Tampa Bay. He’ll be used as a bulk reliever in Triple-A.

Infielder Rodolfo Castro spent a lot of time on the bench for the Phillies after his trade from Pittsburgh at last season’s deadline. The club kept him in the big leagues from Aug. 2 until Sept. 30 in order to secure an extra minor-league option year; Castro made just 32 plate appearances in that span. At Lehigh Valley to start the 2024 season, expect him to get regular time at shortstop, second base and third base.

“Obviously, he’s on the 40-man and will be playing quite a bit with us,” Contreras said. “Our job here is to make sure that he’s ready for that opportunity when Philly needs him.”

Utility man Weston Wilson is back with the IronPigs after setting the club record for home runs in a season last year with 31, also getting time in the big leagues and spending the playoffs with the team.

“It probably just makes him a little more comfortable,” Contreras said, “just knowing where he stands in the organization and knowing that we value him to the extreme. Knowing that he’s going to play a big role [for] the Phillies at some point in the future. We look for him to kind of pick up where he left off last year, and hopefully he can beat his own records.”