The Philadelphia Phillies will open up their Spring Training schedule against the University of Tampa Spartans Sunday afternoon. Off-season pick-up Jeremy Hellickson will get the ball to start the game, as the Phillies attempt to avoid losing to the D-II school for the second consecutive season.
Starting Pitcher:
|
RHP |
Jeremy Hellickson |
|
9-12, 4.62 ERA in 2015 |
Aaron Nola, who is competing to be the Opening Day starter with Hellickson (and Charlie Morton, to a lesser extent), is expected to pitch the second inning after Hellickson starts the game.
Manager Pete Mackanin's lineup features a mix of some of the young talents expected to be in the Opening Day starting lineup and those competing for spots at both the triple-A and major league levels.
Starting lineup:
|
Player |
Bats |
|
Odubel Herrera |
L |
|
Peter Bourjos |
L |
|
Aaron Altherr |
R |
|
Darin Ruf |
R |
|
Andrew Knapp |
R |
|
Jorge Alfaro |
R |
|
Emmanuel Burriss |
S |
|
Angelys Nina |
R |
|
Ryan Jackson |
R |
Game Notes:
- As noted above, most reports have suggested that Aaron Nola will relieve Jeremy Hellickson in the second inning.
- It's probably not worth reading too much into Ryan Howard not starting today. Neither of the team's platoon of catchers is starting, nor is Maikel Franco, Freddy Galvis or Cesar Hernandez.
- The Phillies aren't wasting much time getting a look at Jorge Alfaro behind the plate. If he can prove that his glove behind the plate can catch up with his strong arm and potentially powerful bat, Alfaro has a chance to be the Phillies' long-term catcher.
Broadcast Information:
- Game-time: 1:05 p.m. EST
- Location: Brighthouse Field; Clearwater, Florida
- Stream live on Phillies.com
Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) is the Managing Editor of Philliedelphia.com, focusing on news and features.
