Phillies’ Song is free to report to camp

The Philadelphia Phillies said Noah Song’s transfer from active duty to the Navy reserves frees the pitching prospect to report to camp.

Song, a 25-year-old aviator from Claremont High, was taken by the Phillies in the winter meeting draft in December with hopes he’d play after military service.

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound right-hander was picked from the Boston Red Sox system in the draft for unprotected minor league players. Philadelphia put him on the military list while he continued active duty.

The Red Sox drafted Song in the fourth round — he likely would’ve gone much higher, but his impending military service caused teams to back off.

Song impressed in his only pro season, making seven starts for Boston’s Class-A Lowell affiliate in 2019, with a 1.06 earned-run average and 19 strikeouts in 17 innings. With a fastball clocked in the upper 90s, the right-hander dominated that year as a senior at the Naval Academy, going 11-1 with a 1.44 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 94 innings.

In November 2019, Defense Secretary Mark Esper signed a memo clearing the way for athletes at military academies to delay service commitments and play pro sports after graduation. Song’s request to have those rules retroactively applied to him was denied.

Song began school as a flight officer in the summer of 2020 and finished that phase last April. He started additional aviation training the next month.

Clocking in

New York Yankees pitchers Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Severino and Michael King threw two innings apiece in a simulated game Wednesday with a triple-A umpire and the new pitch clock ticking away.

Each half-inning averaged around two minutes shorter than in previous years. And there were only a couple of violations.

Short hops

Houston pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. will miss opening day because of a strained muscle in his pitching arm . ... Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto is rehabbing from shoulder and biceps surgery and may not be ready for the March 30 opener . ... Frankie Montas won’t start throwing until at least late May following shoulder surgery, a timetable that could allow him to pitch for the Yankees in the second half.