By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor
With their spring training game rained out on Tuesday, the Philadelphia Phillies shed light as to what their Opening Day roster makeup just may look like.
Two players, outfielder Roman Quinn and right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter, will begin the 2019 season on the newly renamed 10-day injured list.
Solid bullpen session from @Phillies reliever Tommy Hunter today … came into camp in gr8 shape… ball coming out free and EZ…. big part of what SHOULD be a VERY SOLID Pfightens bullpen in 2019. pic.twitter.com/6EXKbDe0pZ
— Dan Plesac (@Plesac19) February 15, 2019
Quinn, 25, was diagnosed with a mild right oblique strain after taking batting practice in late February. NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury notes Quinn only recently began swinging a bat.
Hunter, 32, was diagnosed with a Grade 1 flexor strain in his right forearm, also in late February.
Quinn's injury means good news for Aaron Altherr; the two are among the six Phillies currently out of minor-league options, along with Cesar Hernandez, Hector Neris, Jose Alvarez and Adam Morgan. With Quinn injured, both Altherr and Nick Williams can begin the season on the bench, behind starters Andrew McCutchen, Odubel Herrera and Bryce Harper on the depth chart. A decision on Altherr and Quinn will have to be made sooner than later, nonetheless, once Quinn returns.
Either right-handed relievers of Victor Arano and Edubray Ramos, meanwhile, will benefit from Hunter's early injured list stint. Salisbury notes that Phillies Manager Gabe Kapler prefers to have eight relievers; he will likely open the season with the following seven, plus either Arano or Ramos: right-handers David Robertson, Neris, Seranthony Dominguez, Pat Neshek, Juan Nicasio and southpaws Alvarez and Morgan.
Salisbury added that right-handed starting pitcher Vince Velasquez could open the season as a ninth reliever, given the Phillies' off days early in the season. Velasquez will round out the rotation behind Aaron Nola, Jake Arrieta, Nick Pivetta and Zach Eflin.
According to Salisbury, J.T. Realmuto and Andrew Knapp will likely make up the Phillies catchers, while Scott Kingery would likely serve as the only backup infielder behind Maikel Franco, Jean Segura, Hernandez and Rhys Hoskins.
Just eight days remain until Opening Day. Regular season baseball is currently being played overseas in Japan, between the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Althetics, where once-Phillies prospect Domingo Santana hit a grand slam for Seattle. Baseball is back.