Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber has been diagnosed with a mild calf strain and is considered day-to-day, interim manager Rob Thomson told reporters Thursday.

Schwarber exited Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Miami Marlins in the fifth inning after drawing a walk.

Schwarber told reporters after the loss that he has been managing the calf ailment for a few weeks. He added that he probably won't play Friday's game against the New York Mets but hopes to be back as soon as possible.

Losing Schwarber for any period of time isn't ideal for the Phillies as he has been one of the team's best batters. He entered Thursday's game with 34 home runs, 69 RBI and six stolen bases in 108 games with a .212/.314/.504 slash line.

The Phillies are in the midst of a tight playoff race and currently sit third in the NL East with a 62-49 record, 10.5 games behind the first-place Mets and just 3.5 games behind the second-place Atlanta Braves.

Even though Philadelphia is third in the division, they have a 77.6 percent chance to clinch one of the three wild-card spots, per FanGraphs. The 60-50 Milwaukee Brewers, which are the team behind Philly in the wild-card standings, have just a 19.8 percent chance to clinch a wild card berth, per FanGraphs.

The Phillies, Braves and San Diego Padres are currently occupying the NL wild card spots.

With Schwarber sidelined, Matt Vierling or Brandon Marsh could see time in left field. Vierling has played 13 games in left this season, while Marsh, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Los Angeles Angels, has played 77.

Baseball legend Pete Rose declined to discuss an allegation of statutory rape dating back to the 1970s as he was on hand to celebrate the Philadelphia Phillies' 1980 World Series title.

"No, I’m not here to talk about that," he told Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Sorry about that. It was 55 years ago, babe."

Coffey shared more of Rose's comments:

In July 2016, Rose filed a defamation lawsuit against John Dowd after Dowd alleged the 17-time All-Star had committed statutory rape while an active player. As part of his defense, Dowd obtained a sworn statement from a woman in July 2017 who said she had had a sexual relationship with Rose in the 1970s before she turned 16. He responded to the allegation by saying he did have a relationship with the woman, but it began when she was 16.

Rose and Dowd ultimately reached a settlement to drop the lawsuit in December 2017.

The Phillies planned to induct Rose into their Wall of Fame as part of its Alumni Weekend in August 2017. However, the team cited "recent events" in explaining why it would no longer be inducting Rose.

The organization addressed its decision to invite the 81-year-old ahead of Sunday's game against the Washington Nationals.

"In planning the 1980 reunion, we consulted with Pete’s teammates about his inclusion," the Phillies said July 24. "Everyone wants Pete to be part of the festivities since there would be no trophy in 1980 without him. In addition, the club received permission from the Commissioner’s Office to invite Pete as a member of the championship team."

Rose was a member of the Phillies for five years. The 1973 MVP remains MLB's all-time hit king, totaling 4,256 over his 24-year career.

Rose remains frozen out of the Baseball Hall of Fame, though, after getting banned from the game for life in 1989 for betting on games.

The face of the Philadelphia Phillies may be back for the final playoff push.

While Bryce Harper wouldn't put a hard timetable on when he will return from the broken left thumb he suffered on June 25, he said he is hoping to come back by "September-ish," per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

He had pins removed from the thumb Monday and is slowly starting a rehab process that includes hitting balls off a tee and light throwing.

That he is throwing is all the more notable because he also suffered a tear in his right UCL in May, which largely limited him to a designated hitter role before he suffered the thumb injury that required surgery.

"It's kind of on the back burner for me," Harper said of the elbow injury that may need surgery after the season. "I just want to get back in the lineup. I want to start hitting. I am not looking to get back to throwing as quickly as possible because I really want to hit, so maybe in the offseason I'll start throwing more."

Getting Harper back even as only a hitter would be a massive boost for the Phillies.

The 2021 National League MVP was slashing .318/.385/.599 with 25 home runs and 48 RBI in 64 games prior to the thumb injury and seemed well on his way to another excellent season.

The seven-time All-Star also led the league with a 1.044 OPS last season.

Having that type of presence in a lineup that also includes Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto for the final month could give Philadelphia the inside track on a wild-card spot.

It is just 0.5 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals for the final spot, as of Thursday.

As the Philadelphia Phillies continue to fight for a playoff spot, they will do so without Didi Gregorius.

The Phillies announced Thursday that Gregorius has been released after two-plus seasons with the team.

Gregorius was hitting .210/.263/.304 with one homer and 19 RBI in 63 games.

In addition to releasing Gregorius, the Phillies reinstated Jean Segura from the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Segura will slot back in as the starting second baseman. Utility infielder Bryson Stott, who has been handling second base, will likely move to the bench.

Edmundo Sosa, acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals on July 30, can play shortstop. The 26-year-old has been a worse hitter this season than Gregorius. He has a .189/.250/.270 slash line with no homers and eight RBI in 54 games.

The main difference between Sosa and Gregorius is in defensive value. Sosa has been credited with five defensive runs saved in 219.2 innings at shortstop this season, per FanGraphs. Gregorius is minus-six in defensive runs saved over 506 innings at the position.

Philadelphia signed Gregorius to a one-year deal as a free agent in December 2019. The 32-year-old played well in his first season with the team, hitting .284/.339/.488 with 10 homers in 60 games.

The Phillies rewarded Gregorius with a two-year, $28 million deal in February 2021. He has struggled since signing that deal, posting a .613 OPS in 166 games.

Among players with at least 600 plate appearances since the start of 2021, Gregorius has been the fifth-worst player in Major League Baseball with minus-1.0 FanGraphs wins above replacement.

The Phillies (56-48) occupy the final wild-card spot in the NL, but they only lead the Cardinals by a half-game. They will begin a four-game series against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday.

After having three pins removed from his left thumb Monday, Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper started a throwing program, according to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

As a result, he may return to right field this season.

"Hopefully I'll be in right field by the end of the year, playing out there and being successful throwing a baseball," Harper said last week, per Lauber. "We'll [try] throwing when I get back."

Harper has been out of the lineup since suffering a fractured thumb during a 4-2 win over the San Diego Padres on June 25. Blake Snell hit Harper with a 97 mph fastball in the fourth inning.

Harper had been playing through a torn UCL in his right elbow that limited him to designated hitter duties.

He underwent successful thumb surgery June 29. The removal of the pins allowed him to "start to ramp up his rehab," MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reported Monday.

The seven-time All-Star and two-time National League MVP was hitting .318 with 15 home runs, 48 RBI and a .985 OPS.

Without Harper, Darick Hall has been the Phillies' DH. Offseason acquisitions Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos have been mainstays in left and right field all season.

The Phils have stayed in the playoff race with a 55-48 record. They are tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the third wild-card spot and are 4.5 games up on the San Francisco Giants.

Harper's return would be a massive boost as Philly looks to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

The Philadelphia Phillies made a significant addition to their rotation ahead of Tuesday's MLB trade deadline by acquiring starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for Mickey Moniak and prospect Jadiel Sanchez.

With the Angels falling out of contention in the AL West with a 43-59 record, it's no surprise they decided to sell Syndergaard, who will become a free agent this winter.

With Syndergaard on board, let's take a look at Philadelphia's updated rotation and payroll:

• Zack Wheeler
• Aaron Nola
• Noah Syndergaard
• Kyle Gibson
• Ranger Suarez 
• Zach Eflin (15-day injured list)

Payroll: $242.7 million, per Spotrac

Wheeler and Nola have provided a solid one-two punch atop the Phillies rotation, combining for a 16-13 record, 3.03 ERA and 7.4 WAR, but the club needed some depth behind the duo.

Eflin is battling a knee injury and was recently transferred to the 15-day injured list, and it's unclear when or if he'll return to the rotation.

Syndergaard signed a one-year contract with the Angels ahead of the 2022 campaign after spending the first seven seasons of his career with the New York Mets. He made 15 starts for the Halos this season, posting a 5-8 record with a 3.83 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 64 strikeouts in 80 innings.

While he's not the same flame-throwing pitcher he once was with the Mets in 2016, the 29-year-old will be a solid mid-rotation arm for the Phillies, and he's certainly an upgrade over Gibson and Eflin.

However, injuries have been a concern with Syndergaard over his career. He missed almost all of the last two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2020, so managing him should be a priority for the Phillies.

In addition to Syndergaard, the Phillies also acquired outfielder Brandon Marsh and reliever David Robertson ahead of the deadline.

The Phillies enter Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Braves with a 55-47 record, 10 games behind the first-place New York Mets in the NL East. The club has a 60.4 percent chance to make the playoffs, per FanGraphs.

Veteran starter Noah Syndergaard is on the move again.

The Los Angeles Angels have traded the 29-year-old to the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday for Mickey Moniak and outfield prospect Jadiel Sanchez, per The Athletic's Jayson Stark. He had signed a one-year deal with L.A. this offseason after spending the first seven years of his career with the New York Mets.

Pitching in his first full season since 2019, Syndergaard has not been as dominant as he once was. The 2016 All-Star has a 5-8 record with a 3.83 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 80 innings.

A 6'6" righty, "Thor" recorded an ERA under 3.30 in four straight seasons from 2015 to 2018, and he's finished with over 200 strikeouts twice in his career.

The Angels have struggled across the board this season, with a 43-59 record.

Perhaps a change of scenery will help Syndergaard return to form. Philadelphia is getting a veteran arm to add to its rotation as it attempts to keep pace in the playoff hunt.

Having hitters like Phillies stars Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos supporting Syndergaard should help him fare better in his new home, while he'll join a rotation headlined by Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola.

It's the second trade between the teams on Tuesday, as the Phillies also acquired Brandon Marsh in exchange for catching prospect Logan O'Hoppe.

The Philadelphia Phillies bolstered their bullpen ahead of the stretch run.

The National League East club announced it landed relief pitcher David Robertson in a deal with the Chicago Cubs prior to Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline. Pitching prospect Ben Brown is headed back to the Cubs.

ESPN's Jeff Passan and Matt Gelb of The Athletic initially reported the details of the trade.

Brown was ranked 26th in the Phillies' farm system by MLB.com prior to this move. While he was not among the team's top-ranked prospects it could have given up, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia noted he has "power stuff" and is in the middle of a "breakthrough season."

The right-hander has appeared in 16 minor-league games this season with a 3.08 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 105 strikeouts in 73.0 innings.

While Brown may eventually contribute to the rebuilding Cubs, the Phillies landed an impact bullpen arm who will help them push for a wild-card spot this season. They are just one game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the final National League playoff spot.

Robertson is accustomed to pitching in pressure-packed playoff races. After all, he helped the 2009 New York Yankees win the World Series over the very Phillies organization that just traded for him Tuesday.

The 2011 All-Star has a 2.23 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 51 strikeouts in 40.1 innings this season and can either work as a closer or setup man out of the bullpen. He has 14 saves this year and posted three straight seasons of 34 or more saves from 2014 through 2016 on the Yankees and Chicago White Sox.

This is something of a reunion for the veteran, who also pitched for the Phillies in 2019.

That was one of the more forgettable seasons of his career with a 5.40 ERA, although he made just seven appearances before he missed part of that year and the entirety of the next campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Robertson has since regained his form and will look to help pitch the Phillies into the playoffs following this move.

The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired outfielder Brandon Marsh from the Los Angeles Angels for catching prospect Logan O'Hoppe, the team announced Tuesday.

ESPN's Jeff Passan and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal first reported the news.

Marsh should help address the Phillies' need for defensive upgrades in the outfield.

The Phillies have utilized Kyle Schwarber in left field and Nick Castellanos in right field, and given that neither is a plus defender, adding an upgrade defensively in center field made sense for the team.

Even when Bryce Harper returns from his broken left thumb, potentially in late August, Schwarber and Castellanos will need to man the corner spots, as Harper tore the right ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and likely won't throw this season. That will leave him as the team's designated hitter upon his return.

The Phillies have clearly prioritized defense ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, also acquiring shortstop Edmundo Sosa from the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend. He'll serve as a utility infielder for the Phillies, with Jean Segura returning from a broken right index finger this week.

Marsh, 24, will offer better defense in center field but has struggled from the plate in his two MLB seasons, hitting .239 with 10 homers, 56 RBI, 61 runs and a .653 OPS in 163 career games. He's shown more pop this season, with eight homers, though his calling card has been on defense.

The Phillies also took a stab at upgrading the bullpen, acquiring David Robertson from the Chicago Cubs for pitching prospect Ben Brown, per multiple reports.

Robertson—who was signed by the Phillies in 2019 but appeared in just seven games for the organization before needing Tommy John surgery that cost him almost two years of action—has been resurgent this season, notching 14 saves with a 2.23 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.

So the Phillies have stayed busy ahead of the deadline, even if they haven't been players for the top names on the market, at least to this point.

The Philadelphia Phillies scouted Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard last Monday when the Halos hurler pitched 5.2 innings of one-run ball against the Kansas City Royals.

Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported the news and gave some more context Saturday, three days ahead of the MLB trade deadline:

"Syndergaard is still owed about $7 million, but the Phillies are already past the luxury tax threshold and have room to spare before they would reach a tier that incurs further penalties. In years past, the Phillies treated the tax threshold as a soft cap and made transactions that reflected as much.

"This time, if the Angels are interested in some financial savings, the Phillies could assume the money and surrender a lesser prospect package."

The 29-year-old right-hander has gone 5-8 with a 3.83 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 64 strikeouts in 80 innings this year. He signed a one-year, $21 million contract with the Angels before the season.

The Angels are well out of the playoff picture at 42-58, and superstar Mike Trout is without a timetable to return after being diagnosed with a rare back condition. Los Angeles is probably best-served trading away some assets and hoping for brighter days in the future at this point.

Syndergaard is an obvious trade candidate, especially given him entering free agency next offseason.

The Phillies appear to be a good match on paper. For starters, they're in the thick of the National League wild-card race at 53-47, good enough to be tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL's final playoff spot entering Saturday.

They also have an opening in the rotation with Zach Eflin (right knee soreness) currently without a timetable to return.

Left-hander Bailey Falter (0-3, 4.85 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) has taken that spot at the moment. He could very well keep it after his best outing of the year Friday (6 IP, 8 K, 2 ER) in a matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but adding reinforcements to the starting rotation appears to be a necessity if it's unknown when Eflin will return.

Syndergaard has been a steady force in the Angels' rotation, allowing no more than three earned runs in six of his last seven starts. He's also been racking up strikeouts of late, posting 24 over his last 21.2 frames.

In sum, a Syndergaard-Phillies union makes a lot of sense on paper. For now, he remains an Angel with his next start scheduled for Tuesday evening against the Oakland Athletics. It's unclear whether he will even be on the Angels by then, though.