For starters, Girardi knows pitching readiness will be vital
PHILADELPHIA >> During the Clearwater portion of the Phillies’ preseason training, Joe Girardi was duty-bound to prepare either Nick Pivetta, Vince Velasquez or any number of other career starting pitchers for a season of bullpen duty. Circumstances have changed. With all major league players subjected to regular virus testing, and with the reality that a positive test will mean at least a 14day sidetrack to an inactive list, Girardi realizes that he will have to have more starting pitchers ready than usual … enough, perhaps, to fill multiple rotations.
For that, the second portion of the training, which started this week and was open Friday to the media, will have Pivetta, Velasquez and others conditioning
their arms for distance, not daily relief situations, even if they are not in the initial starting rotation.
“The nature of the pandemic, and how easily it can spread,” Girardi said, after the Citizens Bank Park practice Friday. “I think you have to have as many guys built up as possible.”
By the original plan, Girardi would have used Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Jake Arrieta, Zach Eflin and one more starter in his rotation, with Velasquez and Pivetta at least having seniority.
“I anticipate us using a five-man rotation,” Girardi had said Thursday. “Now there might be a situation in a season where we have a lot of days of in a short period of time. And we’ve seen that, in other seasons, where you get a Monday and a Thursday off. You don’t want your guys to be on a seven-day rest, so you may skip one guy.
“But I think you have to be responsible in knowing where your pitchers are, how they are built up, what workload they are capable of carrying. You can’t ask them to do more than they are capable of. We have 60 games in 66 days. You’re going to have a day off, on average, every 10 days.
“I am thinking about having like three rotations, where you have five guys going and have another seven or eight going in the other camp once the season starts. Because all of a sudden a guy could test positive and you will need a starter. You have to make sure you have somebody sharp.”
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The early camp results have pleased Girardi.
“I thought the first day ran smoothly,” he said. “What has impressed me the most is how prepared the guys were for this, and how physically most of them were for this, and physically where most of them are at.”
The camp is unfolding over two sites, Citizens Bank Park and FDR Park across Broad Street. Most of the regulars were in the ballpark Friday, with another 14 or so sent to FDR. Unlike normal spring training, which requires a lengthier ramp-up, the Phillies took live batting practice Friday.
“I’m also impressed with how good our guys have been, following the instructions about wearing masks and social distancing, and also sticking to a schedule,” Girardi said. “They are not used to not being in close contact with their buddies in the clubhouse. But they were really good about it today.”
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The Phillies are using both Citizens Bank Park clubhouses and dugouts. They have playfully renamed their practice site at FDR as “Field 5-9,” in honor of bench coach Rob Thomson, who wears No. 59 and is overseeing the auxiliary-field workouts.
• • • According to Girardi, there were no injuries Friday. Because he is awaiting virus-test results after arriving from the Dominican, Didi Gregorius did not participate. He should be available Saturday.
Scott Kingery, Ranger Suarez, Tommy Hunter and Hector Neris are unavailable and reportedly on the Covid-19 list.
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As a veteran leader, Bryce Harper is determined to help enforce healthy clubhouse habits among his teammates.
“It’s a good thing we like each other, as individuals and as players,” he said. “We have to look out for everybody in this clubhouse, our teammates, our coaches, our media members, everybody. This isn’t just for our families. This is for our whole team. We have to understand that this is bigger than us and we have to keep everybody healthy and on the field as much as possible. If we can do that, we’ll be good.”
Friday, the coaches wore masks on the field, but not the players.
“That’s the protocol right now,” Harper said. “It’s very hard for people to work out in a mask. I’ve heard of people passing out. So that’s the protocol. That’s what we’re working on.”’
• • • Right-handed starter Anthony Swarzak, and catchers Henri Lartigue and, Logan O’Hoppe were added to the Phillies’ player pool.
Swarzak has 10 years of major league experience. mostly in relief, with Minnesota, Cleveland, the Yankees, White Sox, Milwaukee, Seattle and Atlanta.
O’Hoppe, 19, has had minimal experience in the Phillies’ minor league system and in Australia. Lartigue played last season in Reading.