Camp Notes: Reliever Matt Strahm (shoulder) to be reevaluated Saturday

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Phillies should know more about the state of their bullpen for the start of the regular season when they get an update on Matt Strahm, one of the team’s most trusted relievers, this weekend.

The left-hander has an impingement in his left shoulder, putting him at risk to open the season on the injured list. He was supposed to be examined by a doctor on Thursday, but the team decided to push it back by two days. Strahm is feeling better than he was before.

“We’ll reevaluate on Saturday again,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said after Thursday’s Grapefruit League win at BayCare Ballpark. “He’s better.”

With Opening Day on March 27 in Washington, D.C., just two weeks away, it seems that Strahm’s next exam could determine his status to begin the season. Although Thomson noted that he’s progressing, there’s not a lot of time to ramp back up, and a shoulder injury isn’t something to rush for a pitcher.

If Strahm isn’t ready to pitch out of camp, it leaves the Phillies with some questions about their relief unit. Strahm was a go-to guy in a variety of spots for Thomson in an All-Star 2024 season, posting a 1.87 ERA in 66 2/3 innings over 66 games. This year, he may be even more important after Philadelphia’s best reliever from last season, Jeff Hoffman, signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency.

Of course, the team still has young right-hander Orion Kerkering and left-hander José Alvarado, and both have taken down key innings for the Phillies over the past few years. The club brought in former Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano as well, and right-hander Joe Ross signed with the Phillies after ending last season on a high note as a reliever with the Brewers.

Still, that likely leaves the Phillies with only two lefties in the bullpen — Alvarado and Tanner Banks — if Strahm is on the injured list, and the team would need someone to step up in his high-leverage place. The veteran reliever is crucial to Philadelphia’s plans, and a positive development on Saturday would help make things a lot clearer for the club.

Camp Notes

• If Strahm is unable to start the season healthy, right-hander Nabil Crismatt could be the pitcher the Phillies add to the roster in his spot. The 30-year-old was effective for the Padres in 2021 and 2022, and he’s pitched well in spring training. Thomson likes Crismatt’s ability to eat up innings out of the bullpen. He could be a fit as a mop-up man, finishing out lopsided games across multiple frames.
  
  “He’s a guy that you can hand the ball and say, ‘Just turn the lights out when you’re done,'” Thomson said. “And he’ll do it. He’s that type of guy.”
  
  Thomson mentioned right-hander Devin Sweet as another potential option for the bullpen if needed. Sweet is already on the 40-man roster, while Crismatt would need to be added.
  
• Outfielder Nick Castellanos didn’t play as the Phillies beat the Braves, 16-9, on Thursday because he was sick. He hasn’t played since Sunday, but that’s mostly due to scheduling. He didn’t travel to Fort Myers on Tuesday, and then the Phillies were off on Wednesday. The team will check back in on Castellanos before Friday evening’s game against the Yankees in Tampa.
  
• Top prospect Andrew Painter will face hitters in a live batting practice on Friday at the Carpenter Complex. He’ll throw about 20 to 25 pitches. The former first-round pick is expected to make his big-league debut this summer after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.