Summer Camp Opens Today; Play Ball?

2020 Topps Now Road to
Opening Day #OD-276

Today is the day the Phillies open Spring Training II, or Summer Camp as it's being officially marketed by MLB.  The team will train at Citizens Bank Park and nearby FDR Park in Philadelphia over the next several weeks, with the possibility of up to three exhibition games.  There's already some drama surrounding the club's return, as they placed four players mysteriously on the injured list yesterday with no explanation and apparently the list was made public accidentally.  Matt Gelb recounts the transaction snafu in an article for The Athletic.  To sum up the situation, the players have landed on the new COVID-19 injured list but that list was intended to stay private.  Someone input the transactions into MLB's database and the team's official website was updated showing the moves.  As of this writing, the moves are still publicly disclosed here.

2019 Choice Williamsport
Crosscutters #22

Camp Head Count:  53 + 3 - 4 = 52.  Tommy Hunter (rhp), Hector Neris (rhp), Ranger Suarez (lhp) and Scott Kingery (2b) were subtracted from the official camp head count, landing on the COVID-19 list.  This doesn't mean they necessarily have contracted the virus, but that they've been exposed to it or they are exhibiting symptoms.  In any event, the Phillies could be without their closer (Neris) and everyday second baseman (Kingery) if the season actually begins at the end of July.

Gelb also reported the Phillies had released and then re-signed pitcher Anthony Swarwak, who had been a non-roster invitee in Clearwater. Swarwak increased the Player Pool to 54 before the removal of the four players yesterday.

Finally, on Friday afternoon, it was announced catchers Henri Lartigue and Logan O'Hoppe had been added to the Player Pool, bringing the official count to 52 players in camp.  Lartigue had been a non-roster invitee earlier in the spring and O'Hoppe was a 23rd round pick by the Phillies in the 2018 draft.  He played for the Williamsport Crosscutters last season.  Up until adding these two catchers, the Phillies had only three catchers in camp.