Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering starting slowly at spring training because of hamstring strain
The right-hander felt the strain during his last bullpen session before spring training officially started on Wednesday.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Orion Kerkering will start spring training a little behind schedule after suffering a mild hamstring strain.
The Phillies right-hander felt the strain during his last bullpen session before spring training officially started on Wednesday, and the Phillies will be cautious with the reliever, manager Rob Thomson said.
“He’s still playing catch, and so hopefully get a little flat ground work here in the next little bit,” Thomson said.
Other injuries and delays
Relief pitcher Michael Mercado has a right shoulder impingement and will be shut down from throwing for another week, the team said. Mercado made three major league appearances last season for the Phillies and had a 4.59 ERA in 42 games with triple-A Lehigh Valley.
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Daniel Robert, 31, had a “cardiovascular event” last fall, and next week he will undergo stress testing in Atlanta. He appeared in 15 games for the Phillies as a reliever last season, pitching to a 4.15 ERA. Both Mercado and Robert were non-tendered by the Phillies this offseason but later were re-signed to minor league deals.
Nonroster invitee catcher Mark Kolozsvary had ACL surgery last year, and is able to catch and throw but not run.
Catcher René Pinto, also a nonroster invitee, is not in camp because of visa issues coming from Venezuela.
Father's Day will hit a little differently this year for Don and Preston Mattingly. After years of working in baseball for different teams, often on opposite sides of the country, they are together with the Phillies as the first father-and-son manager-and-GM combination ever. Preston Mattingly joins Phillies Extra to discuss working with his dad, as well as the Phillies' decision to demote Andrew Painter to the minors and their preparations for the trade deadline. Watch here.
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