Strahm has sore shoulder; injuries mounting in NL East

Strahm has sore shoulder; injuries mounting in NL East originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Left-hander Matt Strahm, one of the Phillies’ most important relievers, is dealing with a sore shoulder and won’t be used for several days, manager Rob Thomson said after Sunday’s 12-2 win over the Orioles.

Strahm has pitched twice this spring and neither outing went well. He allowed a two-run homer to Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe on Feb. 27 in Clearwater, then was charged with four runs in two-thirds of an inning on Wednesday in Lakeland against the Tigers. He’s already walked three batters, as many as his total last spring in seven appearances.

His velocity has been down approximately three mph with his four-seam fastball and sinker, from the 94 mph range to 90-92.

The team’s hope is some time off will help Strahm, and this is the time of year to dial things back.

“He came up with a little bit of a sore shoulder, nothing wrong with him, we’re just gonna back him off for a few days,” Thomson said.

He has been a workhorse reliever for the Phillies, spending his first month in 2023 as a starter out of necessity and totaling 150⅓ innings across two seasons. He will be pushed into an even more important role in 2025 as part of the Phils’ late-inning formula with Jordan Romano, Orion Kerkering and Jose Alvarado.

For the better part of two years, Strahm has been one player the Phillies haven’t had to worry about. He’s delivered a 2.69 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 122 appearances with nearly six times as many strikeouts as walks. He’s handled lefties and righties. He’s stayed healthy, not landing on the injured list once after missing ample time in 2021 and spending three stints on the IL in 2022.

Injuries mounting in NL East

The Phillies’ injuries in camp have been limited to Strahm’s sore shoulder and Weston Wilson’s Grade 2 oblique strain. The Mets and Braves have had it worse.

The Mets learned Sunday that their starting catcher, Francisco Alvarez, will miss 6-to-8 weeks with a fractured left hand. It leaves them with just Luis Torrens and non-roster invitees behind the plate. Alvarez hit 25 home runs in 2023 and was one of the few players who kept the Mets afloat in the first half last season, hitting .296 with an .844 OPS before the break.

Brandon Nimmo has been out of the lineup with knee inflammation and received a gel injection this weekend.

Starting pitchers Sean Manaea (oblique strain) and Frankie Montas (lat strain) are also sidelined. Neither will begin the season on time.

The Braves are also without their starting catcher, Sean Murphy, who is out 4-to-6 weeks with a cracked left rib suffered on a hit by pitch. And unlike the last two seasons, Travis d’Arnaud is no longer in Atlanta to serve as Murphy’s 1-B.

And left fielder Jurickson Profar, one of the Braves’ only offseason additions, has a bone bruise in his left wrist from a sliding catch. The Braves hope he’s ready for Opening Day after signing him to a three-year, $42 million contract in January.

Various reminders that the most important part of spring training is making it to the end healthy.