Phillies pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater today, effectively ending one of the dreariest off-seasons since team president Dave Dombrowski took over as head of baseball operations prior to the 2021 season.
Yes, he re-signed Kyle Schwarber, far-and-away the franchise’s primary goal over the winter, added free agent reliever Brad Keller to set up closer Jhoan Duran, brought back J.T. Realmuto to guide the pitching staff behind the dish and inked outfielder Adolis Garcia to a one-year deal. Nick Castellanos will soon be gone (we think!), Matt Strahm is in Kansas City, and Harrison Bader’s fun run in Philly ended.
Much has been made about what the Phillies didn’t do this off-season. Despite a desire to change up the team’s mix of players, most of the everyday lineup returns in 2026. Infielder Bo Bichette was stolen away from them by a Mets team that has re-made their roster in a way that some Phils fans with Dombrowski had done, and most of the same players that have frustrated over the last few seasons are back to give things another go.
It remains to be seen whether Dombrowski’s decisions were wise. Six weeks of spring training and 162 games over six months of regular season baseball await. However you feel about the ‘26 Phillies as the mitts start poppin’ down in Clearwater, their spring is off to a much better start than their two top rivals in the NL East.
On Tuesday, the Atlanta Braves announced starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach was being placed on the 60-day injured list with inflammation in his pitching elbow. Not long after that announcement, the Mets announced All Star shortstop Francisco Lindor could be out for six weeks due to an injury to the hamate bone in his left hand.
For Atlanta, it’s a continuation of a slew of injuries that have derailed their chances of competing for a World Series each of the last two years.
This marks the second straight year in which Schwellenbach was placed on the 60-day IL for elbow inflammation at the beginning of the season. He eventually made 17 starts and posted a 3.09 ERA over 110.2 innings last year, a solid finish to his second big league season, and he’s always been trouble for the Phillies. In five career regular season starts, he’s 3-0 with a 2.01 ERA in 31.1 innings against Philadelphia. His absence once again leaves the Braves with a lineup full of household names and serious questions about stability and durability.
Chris Sale will be the likely Opening Day starter after yet another brilliant season with the Braves, but at 37 years old, does he have another All Star campaign in him? Spencer Strider, who missed all of 2024 with a torn ACL, returned to post a 4.45 ERA in 23 starts last year. Once the undisputed best starter in the National League, he is a major question mark as the ‘26 season begins. Reynaldo Lopez was signed as a free agent prior to last year but was injured during his first start with Atlanta. What will he bring to the table? And with Schwellenbach out, Grant Holmes (3.99 ERA in 115 innings) and Bryce Elder (5.30 ERA, 156.1 IP) fill out the rest of a suddenly suspect Atlanta rotation.
For all the question marks Phillies fans have about their rotation, the Braves appear to have even more.
As for Lindor, Mets GM David Stearns is optimistic his star shortstop will be ready for Opening Day, even if surgery is required.
Lindor, 32, has been remarkably durable during his Mets’ career, with 160+ games played in three of the last four seasons, and 152 games in 2024. With Juan Soto, Bichette, Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien in the fold, New York’s lineup is well-suited to suffer a Lindor injury for a short amount of time. Still, it is never good for a star player to begin the season with surgery on a bone in their hand.
Before Phillies fans celebrate too much, there are a number of open questions regarding their roster as camp begins, too. How long after Opening Day will Zack Wheeler begin his 2026 season? Was Aaron Nola’s disastrous 2025 season a fluke or a trend? Will Andrew Painter make up for the loss of Ranger Suarez? Will the Phillies’ outfield be better on the field than they appear to be on paper now? Will Bryce Harper put together an All Star season? Who will provide power and production in the middle of the order?
All three teams in the National League East are dealing with some significant uncertainty as spring training begins.