<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-bryce-harper-injury-revelation-after-return');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bryce Harper’s concerning injury revelation after return for Phillies');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Phillies-Bryce-Harper.jpg"><figcaption>© Eric Hartline-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bryce Harper’s concerning injury revelation after return for Phillies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-01T06:30:21-07:00">July 1st, 6:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-01T06:30:39-07:00">July 1st, 6:30am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper is opening up about <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-bryce-harper-breaks-silence-wrist-recovery">the wrist injury that has kept him out of the Phillies lineup</a>. Harper says <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45619916/phillies-slugger-bryce-harper-reinstated-stint-il" rel="noopener">the inflammation has bothered him</a> for so long, he just basically has to live with playing through pain.</p><p>“I didn’t think I was going to take any other steps forward of feeling better,” Harper said after a team win Monday, per the Associated Press. “I thought we were kind of at a standstill of it feeling the same the last couple of days. From BP to live [pitching], it kind of gave us the same results each day. So, thought today was a good one.”</p><p>Harper is back for the club, after spending some time on the injured list. He says though that the wrist has bothered him for far longer than what he has revealed in the past.</p><p>The slugger believes he has to nurse this issue as much as he can. That may mean a future trip to the injured list, if necessary.</p><p>“Ultimately, it’s going to come down to how I feel each day,” Harper added.</p><p>The Phillies are now 50-35 on the season, after defeating the San Diego Padres Monday. The club has gone 5-5 in its last 10 contests.</p><h2><b>Phillies are fighting for the top spot in the NL East</b></h2><p>Philadelphia has been able to take the first place spot in the National League East recently. This is partly due to a recent collapse by the New York Mets, who are on a bad skid. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/3-sneaky-trades-phillies-must-make-boost-world-series-chances">Phillies hold a two game lead</a> in the division, as of Tuesday.</p><p>Phillies fans hope that Harper can stay healthy. He’s an outspoken leader on this team, and his hitting is invaluable. This season, Harper is batting .256 with nine home runs. Before Monday, he had not played since June 5th.</p><p>The slugger is also carrying a lot of salary. He is in the seventh year of a long 13-year deal, and has helped the club make the playoffs for three straight years. Philadelphia simply needs him to keep up the production.</p><p>The Phillies are again in action on Tuesday, against San Diego.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bryce Harper’s concerning injury revelation after return for Phillies

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-brandon-marsh-avoids-tag-incredible-swim-move');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Brandon Marsh avoids tag with incredible swim move');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Brandon-Marsh_9a0b74.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies’ Brandon Marsh avoids tag with incredible swim move</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T19:09:47-07:00">June 30th, 7:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T19:37:16-07:00">June 30th, 7:37pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies picked up the win over the San Diego Padres in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-bryce-harper-breaks-silence-wrist-recovery">Bryce Harper’s return from the injured list</a> Monday. The Phillies got a dominant outing from starting pitcher Zack Wheeler as well as some impressive base running from center fielder Brandon Marsh.</p><p>Marsh drove in a run with an RBI single off Padres starter Matt Waldron in the fourth inning, putting the Phillies up 2-0. He then stole second base. And although the throw from catcher Martin Maldonado beat him to the bag, Marsh <a href="https://x.com/CrossingBroad/status/1939833368314527835" rel="noopener">broke out</a> a nifty swim move to get around the tag, via Crossing Broad on X.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This Brandon Marsh swim move was insane!  <a href="https://t.co/q2ySAJUkAq">pic.twitter.com/q2ySAJUkAq</a></p><p>— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrossingBroad/status/1939833368314527835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>After collecting his fifth steal of the season with a great slide, Marsh advanced to third on a wild pitch. He then scored on Trea Turner’s RBI infield single, giving Philadelphia a 3-0 advantage in the fourth inning.</p><h2><b>The Phillies look to take control of the NL East</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Brandon-Marsh2.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Rassol-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Nick Castellanos added a solo home run in the fifth. The right fielder jumped on the first pitch he saw, a 75 mph knuckleball from Waldron, and hammered it 372 feet to left.</p><p>Castellanos has been hot since he was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-benched-crossing-line-rob-thomson">benched by manager Rob Thomson</a> in the middle of June. The two-time All-Star apparently “crossed a line” with Thomson and was held out of the Phillies’ matchup against the Marlins on June 17. The benching snapped Castellanos’ streak of consecutive games started. He recently passed Jimmy Rollins to move into second-place in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-history-231st-consecutive-start">franchise history with 231 straight starts</a>.</p><p>However, the 13th-year veteran seems to have been motivated by the incident. Entering Monday’s contest, Castellanos slashed .302/.333/.558 in 11 games since being benched. He now has 3 homers, 5 doubles and 9 RBI since his manager sat him down.</p><p>Castellanos’ fifth inning home run gave Philadelphia a 4-0 lead, which was more than enough for Wheeler. The Phillies’ ace was electric, allowing six hits and no walks while striking out 10 in eight shutout innings.</p><p>Wheeler delivered the team’s second straight standout start following Ranger Suarez’s excellent outing against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-historic-run-jt-realmuto-praise">Suarez is on a historic run for the Phillies</a> with 10 consecutive quality starts.</p><p>Monday’s win over the Padres put Philadelphia two games above the idle New York Mets in the NL East. The Phillies trailed New York by 5.5 games just two weeks ago.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Brandon Marsh avoids tag with incredible swim move

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-rob-thomson-tough-truth-top-prospect-futures-game-status');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Rob Thomson delivers tough truth on top prospect’s MLB Futures Game status');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Rob-Thomson.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies’ Rob Thomson delivers tough truth on top prospect’s MLB Futures Game status</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T15:46:12-07:00">June 30th, 3:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T16:03:48-07:00">June 30th, 4:03pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies will get <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-bryce-harper-breaks-silence-wrist-recovery">Bryce Harper back from a wrist injury</a> that cost him most of June. The two-time MVP will return from the IL in time for the team’s series opener against the San Diego Padres Monday. But Phillies fans will have to wait a bit longer to see top pitching prospect Andrew Painter in action.</p><p>Manager Rob Thomson told reporters that Painter will <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45621340/phillies-say-andrew-painter-pitch-all-star-futures-game" rel="noopener">not take part</a> in the Futures Game during the All-Star break. Thomson wants Painter to continue focusing on his recovery from Tommy John surgery. And the talented, young righty will have to keep grinding in the minors to earn a big league call up, per ESPN.</p><p>“We will keep him on our plan… There’s nothing that says he’s coming up here at all. He’s got to be healthy. He’s got to be pitching well. We’ve said that all along,” Thomson said when discussing a potential Painter promotion.</p><h2><b>The Phillies won’t guarantee Andrew Painter a spot in the 2025 rotation</b></h2><p>Painter is the Phillies’ top prospect and the <a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/top100/" rel="noopener">fifth overall</a> prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com. He was invited to spring training with the team and, although he didn’t make the Opening Day roster, it appeared <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-philadelphia-no-1-prospect-andrew-painter-nearing-mlb-promotion">Painter was nearing a call up</a> earlier in the season.</p><p>However, the Phillies boast a very strong starting rotation this year. Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez have all pitched at an All-Star level in the first half of the season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-historic-run-jt-realmuto-praise">Suarez has been particularly dominant</a>, stringing together 10 consecutive quality starts for Philadelphia.</p><p>In addition to the big three, newcomer Jesus Luzardo is beginning to rediscover his form following a slow start to his debut season with the team. Rookie <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ken-rosenthal-pulls-back-the-curtain-on-mick-abels-2025-turnaround">Mick Abel has pitched well</a> when called upon, forcing himself into the starting rotation conversation. And veteran hurler Aaron Nola, currently sidelined by a rib injury, is expected to rejoin the club in the second half.</p><p>Painter appeared poised to become a mainstay in the Phillies rotation after a sensational 2022 campaign across three levels in the minors. But he experienced a setback, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-philadelphias-pitching-woes-continue-with-brutal-andrew-painter-injury-update">undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023</a>, which kept him out of action for the entire 2024 season.</p><p>Painter is looking to work his way back to the dominance displayed earlier in his career. He jumped to Triple-A after starting the 2025 season in Single-A ball. The next step is making the Phillies’ major league roster. But according to Thomson, that’s no sure thing any time soon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Rob Thomson delivers tough truth on top prospect’s MLB Futures Game status

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-bryce-harper-breaks-silence-wrist-recovery');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bryce Harper breaks silence on wrist recovery');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Bryce-Harper-2.jpg"></figure><h1>Bryce Harper breaks silence on wrist recovery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T14:20:30-07:00">June 30th, 2:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T14:31:56-07:00">June 30th, 2:31pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies lost All-Star first baseman <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-bryce-harper-injury-otto-kemp">Bryce Harper to a wrist injury in early June</a>. The ailment sidelined the two-time MVP for 22 games, leaving Philadelphia without its most accomplished hitter. But the wait is over as Harper has been activated from the injured list and will rejoin the Phillies for their series opener against the San Diego Padres.</p><p>While obviously great news for the team, Harper may not be <a href="https://x.com/JClarkNBCS/status/1939773207264796859" rel="noopener">entirely out of the woods</a> just yet. “Harper says he feels way better than he did a month ago when [the Phillies] decided to shut him down. But it sounds like he will have to see how he’s feeling on a day-to-day basis,” NBC Philly’s John Clark wrote on X.</p><h2><b>The Phillies welcome Bryce Harper back to the lineup</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Bryce-Harper_44fdd9.jpg"><figcaption>Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Harper had been on the 10-day IL since June 6 with inflammation in his right wrist. Although he’s ready to make his return to the Phillies’ lineup, reporting indicates that he’ll have to manage soreness in his wrist and occasionally take games off until he’s fully healthy.</p><p>The eight-time All-Star had just returned to the lineup on June 3 after a Spencer Strider fastball off his elbow cost him five games. He avoided the injured list after getting hit by the pitch but landed on the IL with the wrist issue three games after rejoining the team.</p><p>The Phillies didn’t rush the 14th-year veteran’s recovery, recognizing the ailment would take time to heal. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-bryce-harper-live-pitching-update-injury-rehab">Harper faced live pitching</a> over the weekend while traveling with the team to Atlanta. The workout went well and Philadelphia activated Harper without sending him on a minor league rehab assignment.</p><p>In his absence the Phillies’ offense has been inconsistent. The team has gone 12-10 since Harper’s injury and went from 2.5 games back in the division to taking a 1.5-game lead over the New York Mets in the NL East. But Philadelphia has had trouble scoring runs. With the exception of Friday’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-kyle-schwarber-leads-11-0-start-vs-braves">Kyle Schwarber-led offensive eruption</a>, the Phillies scored a total of four runs in five games.</p><p>Harper’s addition to the lineup should help stabilize the unit. While his overall stats are down in 2025, Harper heated up in May. He slashed .308/.381/.484 with 3 home runs and 17 RBI in 24 games last month. The Phillies hope the veteran first baseman will pick up where he left off when he rejoins the team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bryce Harper breaks silence on wrist recovery

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-historic-run-jt-realmuto-praise');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ranger Suarez’s historic run for Phillies draws high JT Realmuto praise');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Ranger-Suarez-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Ranger Suarez’s historic run for Phillies draws high JT Realmuto praise</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T22:00:17-07:00">June 29th, 10:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T22:00:17-07:00">June 29th, 10:00pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In a season filled with standout performances from the Phillies’ rotation, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-shutout-blue-jays">Ranger Suárez continues to separate himself as one of the most dominant arms</a> in baseball.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-ties-cole-hamels-quality-start-record">left-hander added another gem to his resume Sunday afternoon</a>, delivering seven innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts in a 2-1 win over the Braves at Truist Park. With the win, Suárez improved to 7-2 on the season and lowered his ERA to a pristine 2.00.</p><p>It was his tenth consecutive quality start, a stretch during which he’s posted an absurd 1.19 ERA — <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/ranger-suarez-strikes-out-8-phillies-win-series-vs-braves" rel="noopener">the lowest</a> by a Phillies pitcher over a 10-start span since Cliff Lee in 2011. Only Roy Oswalt (2010) and Steve Carlton (1972) have achieved similar numbers in franchise history since the mound was lowered in 1969.</p><p>“I think this is as close to, if not the best, I’ve felt pitching,” Suárez said postgame via interpreter Diego D’Aniello.</p><p>Manager Rob Thomson echoed that sentiment without hesitation: “I think he’s pitching better than I’ve ever seen him pitch,” he said.</p><h2><b>Ranger Suarez continues dominant stretch as Phillies outduel Braves</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Ranger-Suarez_f7dd3a.jpg"><figcaption>Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>J.T. Realmuto, who caught Suárez’s masterpiece, gave a detailed breakdown of his starter’s dominance. “The way he’s been able to manipulate the baseball, mix pitches, and attack hitters — he’s doing everything you want a pitcher to do to be successful,” Realmuto said. “It feels very similar to what he was doing last year.”</p><p>That might be underselling it. Even at Suárez’s peak in 2024, his best 10-game stretch came with a 1.29 ERA — slightly higher than what he’s doing now. His lone mistake Sunday was a second-inning sinker that Sean Murphy turned into a 451-foot solo homer. Other than that, Atlanta barely sniffed a scoring chance.</p><p>Suárez got the run support he needed in the fifth inning. Bryson Stott led off with a single, and Otto Kemp ripped an RBI double to the corner in left. Kemp then scored what turned out to be the game-winner on a Trea Turner sac fly.</p><p>The Braves threatened in the ninth, putting runners on the corners with two outs. But Matt Strahm closed the door, getting Stuart Fairchild to fly out to center to secure his fifth save of the year.</p><p>Philadelphia’s offense hasn’t exactly been clicking lately. In fact, outside of Friday’s 13-run outburst, the Phils managed just four runs in the other five games on their recent 2-4 road trip. But the starting pitching — especially Suárez — continues to hold the line.</p><p>Since Suárez’s dominant stretch began on May 10, he owns the best ERA in baseball. Teammate Zack Wheeler is second at 1.50, and Cristopher Sánchez (2.72 ERA) isn’t far behind. The Phillies are the only team in the league with three starters who have sub-2.80 ERAs and at least 10 starts apiece.</p><p>“They’ve done a good job of keeping us in games,” Realmuto said. “Hopefully the offense starts heating up and we can give them a little more breathing room.” For now, Suárez’s brilliance is more than enough.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ranger Suarez’s historic run for Phillies draws high JT Realmuto praise

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-bryce-harper-live-pitching-update-injury-rehab');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Bryce Harper gets live pitching update amid injury rehab');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Bryce-Harper_e30f17.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies’ Bryce Harper gets live pitching update amid injury rehab</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T09:28:31-07:00">June 29th, 9:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T09:28:31-07:00">June 29th, 9:28am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies have been one of the better teams in baseball so far this season, and they have been able to keep their head above water despite <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-bryce-harper-takes-key-step-in-injury-rehab">missing Bryce Harper for an extended period</a> of time now.</p><p>Harper has been out since June 6 with a wrist injury, but he is finally getting close to making his return to the field. While he isn’t quite a full go just yet, he took another critical step in his rehab when he <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45605336/phillies-bryce-harper-faces-live-pitching-return-nears" rel="noopener">took live batting practice</a> in Atlanta during the series between the Phillies and the Atlanta Braves, according to ESPN.</p><p>“Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper faced live pitching at Truist Park as he continues to work his way back after an injury to his right wrist,” ESPN wrote. “Harper went on the 10-day injured list June 6. He traveled with the team to Atlanta and went through a workout in the morning ahead of the Phillies’ game against the Braves on Saturday night.”</p><p>Despite <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-bryce-harper-injury-otto-kemp">Harper missing more than three weeks now</a>, the Phillies have actually made up ground and taken the lead over the New York Mets in the loaded NL East race. The Mets have inexplicably lost 12 of their last 15 games, and Philly now finds itself in the top spot.</p><p>Getting Harper back should only boost the spirits in Philadelphia as it now looks to create some cushion between it and the Mets. The difference between the two is just a half-game at the moment, so the Phillies will want a bit of breathing room as the season passes the halfway point.</p><p>Harper hasn’t had incredible production when he has been on the field this season like MLB fans are used to seeing from him, but he has still put up some quality numbers. So far in 2025, Harper is batting .258 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs in 57 games.</p><p>The hope for the Phillies is that those numbers continue to improve has Harper gets more and more comfortable on the field after returning. If they do, this Philadelphia lineup will be one of the most dangerous units in baseball.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Bryce Harper gets live pitching update amid injury rehab

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-kyle-schwarber-complete-hitter-truth-bomb-2025-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber drops ‘complete hitter’ truth bomb on standout 2025 season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Phillies-Kyle-Schwarber.jpg"><figcaption>© Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber drops ‘complete hitter’ truth bomb on standout 2025 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T07:46:53-07:00">June 29th, 7:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T07:47:21-07:00">June 29th, 7:47am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber has turned plenty of heads this season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-kyle-schwarber-jokes-500-home-runs-mammoth-300">Schwarber has smashed home runs with ease</a>, as the Phillies look in great shape to make the postseason. The slugger <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1939099255182107054" rel="noopener">is opening up</a> about how he has been able to keep his production going.</p><p>“I just think the continuous work. I like to be an honest self-evaluator and try to figure out ways I can get better,” Schwarber said, per FOX Sports. “Going back to 2023, when I hit 40 homers, but I also hit .190. It’s not fun looking at a number with a 1, and you want to find a way to be a more complete hitter.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"It's not fun looking at a number with a 1, and you want to find a way to be a more complete hitter."</p><p>More from Kyle Schwarber with <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ken_Rosenthal</a> on what's working for him this season. <a href="https://t.co/RQxpNVte1A">pic.twitter.com/RQxpNVte1A</a></p><p>— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1939099255182107054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-kyle-schwarber-300-home-runs-rockies">Schwarber has 25 home runs on the season</a>. That ties him for fourth in Major League Baseball in that category, with Eugenio Suarez. The Phillies star is also batting at a .248 average, with 57 runs batted in.</p><p>The Phillies hold a 48-35 record, nursing a slim lead in the National League East over the New York Mets.</p><h2><b>Kyle Schwarber is pacing the Phillies offense this season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Philadelphia-Phillies-outfielder-Kyle-Schwarber.jpg"><figcaption>Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Schwarber is working closely with Trea Turner in leading Philadelphia’s offense this season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-kyle-schwarber-leads-11-0-start-vs-braves">Schwarber leads the team in home runs, RBIs, and on-base percentage</a> with the All-Star Break getting closer.</p><p>The slugger is getting close to free agency, and the Phillies are certainly going to have plenty of suitors for his services. Schwarber is having a career season in so many different categories. He also looks to be <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/kyle-schwarber-approaches-free-agency-phillies-window-win-now" rel="noopener">the most powerful bat</a> in the team’s lineup.</p><p>“You want to make sure that you give the best that you can to your team,” Shwarber said, per FOX Sports. “Because if it is the end, how do you want to be remembered? Do you want to be remembered for being selfish, where you’re only caring about yourself? Or do you want to really be remembered for giving everything you had to your team?”</p><p>The Phillies are actively engaged in trying to sign the slugger to a contract extension.</p><p>“Of course, you don’t want to lose a Kyle Schwarber,” team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said recently. “He’s a unique talent and he’s a quality individual. We don’t want to lose him. But I think your responsibility, as somebody in my job, is to make your club better in other ways. I’ve lost free-agent players in the past that we’ve gone out and been able to do things. Again, not that you want to lose him. But I don’t think it’s the end of any window or anything.”</p><p>The Phillies are in Atlanta Sunday to close out a series with the Braves.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber drops ‘complete hitter’ truth bomb on standout 2025 season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-kyle-schwarber-leads-11-0-start-vs-braves');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kyle Schwarber leads Phillies to 11-0 start vs. Braves');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kyle-Schwarber.jpg"></figure><h1>Kyle Schwarber leads Phillies to 11-0 start vs. Braves</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T01:15:27-07:00">June 28th, 1:15am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T01:27:42-07:00">June 28th, 1:27am</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies have struggled after a mid-month surge allowed the team to reclaim control of the NL East. As <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-bryce-harper-injury-otto-kemp">Bryce Harper remains sidelined</a> with a wrist injury, the Phillies’ offense has been inconsistent. But Philadelphia bottomed out during its three-game losing streak, scoring just one run in the last three games.</p><p>Then, suddenly, the Phillies’ bats <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1938788524997943708" rel="noopener">woke up</a> as the offense erupted against the Atlanta Braves in their series opener Friday. Philadelphia jumped out to an early lead, scoring five runs in two innings. Then, in the third, the Phillies broke the game open as Kyle Schwarber capped a six-run inning with a massive home run, putting the team up 11-0.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kyle Schwarber with ANOTHER HR for the Phillies 🔥</p><p>As they lead the Atlanta Braves 11-0 in the 3rd inning! <br> <a href="https://t.co/5NWPqixlCl">pic.twitter.com/5NWPqixlCl</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1938788524997943708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Facing reliever Michael Peterson, Schwarber worked the count full before demolishing a 90 mph cutter to deep right center. The 439-foot blast was Schwarber’s 25th homer of the season and the Phillies’ fourth in three innings.</p><h2><b>The Phillies celebrated an offensive eruption against Atlanta</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kyle-Schwarber2.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Schwarber was the first batter that Peterson faced after taking over for Bryce Elder. The Braves starter got absolutely shelled, allowing 10 runs (9 earned) on 8 hits and 4 walks in two innings.</p><p>The Phillies would add two more runs in the ninth inning, running the final score up to 13-0. The team had scored 12 total runs over the last five games.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/mlb-rumors-braves-named-as-likely-suitor-for-rival-phillies-slugger">Braves emerged as a possible suitor for Schwarber</a> in free agency after the season and Atlanta got a good look at what the two-time All-Star brings to an offense. Schwarber is now tied for the fourth-most home runs in the majors and he’s behind only Shohei Ohtani in the National League. His 57 RBI are the 11th-most in baseball.</p><p>Earlier this year, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-kyle-schwarber-300-home-runs-rockies">Schwarber hit his 300th career home run</a>, reaching a major milestone. And the 11th-year veteran has been the Phillies’ best offensive player this season by far. However, he wasn’t the only contributor to the team’s beatdown of the Braves.</p><p>The Phillies went off on Atlanta, racking up 17 hits and five home runs Friday. Trea Turner went deep twice in the game and scored four runs, while Nick Castellanos and Otto Kemp also homered for Philadelphia.</p><p>The win, combined with the New York Mets’ ugly 9-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowed the Phillies to take back first place in the NL East. However, the team is clinging to a half-game lead over New York.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kyle Schwarber leads Phillies to 11-0 start vs. Braves

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/3-sneaky-trades-phillies-must-make-boost-world-series-chances');   ga('set', 'title', '3 sneaky trades Phillies must make to boost World Series chances');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Chicago-Cubs-relief-pitcher-Ryan-Pressly.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>3 sneaky trades Phillies must make to boost World Series chances</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T19:13:40-07:00">June 27th, 7:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T19:13:40-07:00">June 27th, 7:13pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies have been neck-and-neck with the New York Mets for the division lead all season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-benched-crossing-line-rob-thomson">Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson has dealt with drama amongst his players</a> extremely well. He has the team in position to make a deep run in the playoffs without changing a single thing. However, the Phillies cannot afford to rest on their laurels around the trade deadline.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-max-kepler-agrees-1-year-10-million-contract">Philadelphia picked up Max Kepler as a free agent this offseason</a>. Other than that, the Phillies did not make many moves in the winter. On paper, Thomson’s roster can stand toe-to-toe with any team in the league on pure talent. However, Aaron Nola’s absence from Philadelphia’s rotation has fans concerned. If he comes back at full health, no team has a better group of starters.</p><p>Thomson and the Phillies got to the NLDS before losing a heartbreaking series to their division rivals. They have been stewing on their defeat to the Mets for almost a year. That loss could make them more opportunistic at this year’s deadline. Thomson and the front office want to ensure that it won’t happen again.</p><p>Philadelphia is in great position to enter the playoffs with momentum. Making the right trades at the deadline could give them a leg up in an uber-competitive NL, though.</p><p>Here are three trades that the Phillies could make to catch the league off guard before the deadline.</p><h2>Minnesota Twins Outfielder Harrison Bader</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Harrison-Bader-with-Minnesota-Twins.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Phillies receive: OF Harrison Bader</p><p>Twins receive: OF Dylan Campbell</p><p>Almost every contender in Major League Baseball is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-mets-phillies-white-sox-luis-robert-jr-trade">interested in Luis Robert Jr., including the Phillies</a>. However, the bidding war experts expect will break out for the Chicago White Sox outfielder could get really expensive really fast. For a team with a payroll as large as Philadelphia’s, a cheaper option could accomplish the same goal without gutting their resources.</p><p>Bader has bounced around the league since spending the first five and a half seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. However, he is not a player moved because teams do not like having him. Instead, his fielding and clutch hitting has made him a valuable asset. He was not great for the Mets in last year’s postseason, but Bader hit five postseason home runs for the Yankees in 2023.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-harrison-bader-contract-details">Bader is on a one-year deal worth just over $6 million</a>. Bringing him in is little to no risk for the Phillies. With Max Kepler unhappy with Thomson and the organization, a replacement left fielder could eliminate that distraction. Bader is a veteran player who can give Philadelphia what they need without causing commotion.</p><h2>Chicago Cubs Relief Pitcher Ryan Pressly</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Cubs-news-Ryan-Pressly-takes-the-blame-after-embarrassing-11th-inning-collapse.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Phillies receive: RP Ryan Pressly</p><p>Cubs receive: RP Wen-Hui Pan</p><p>While trades within the same division are rare, ones between two teams in the same league happen all the time. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/mlb-rumors-ryan-pressly-uncommitted-astros-trade-cubs">mulling over the deal, Pressly joined Chicago in a trade this offseason</a>, but has moved into a setup role in Craig Counsell’s bullpen. Despite the demotion, the veteran reliever has been just as effective as ever.</p><p>Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, and Jordan Romano have all spent time as Thomson’s closer. However, the relievers as group could use one more addition to round out the group. Pressly is a proven player with <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/33072/ryan-pressly" rel="noopener">plenty of postseason experience</a> with the Houston Astros.</p><p>Pressly will be tough to pry away from Chicago, but not impossible. For a team led by a young star like Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs’ future is murky. Chicago is preoccupied with keeping him and Kyle Tucker on the team past this season. Despite their success, future security and a good prospect are attractive options to the Cubs, especially for a cheap veteran.</p><h2>Pittsburgh Pirates Relief Pitcher Dennis Santana</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Dennis-Santana-pitches-against-Padres.jpg"><figcaption>David Frerker-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Phillies receive: RP Dennis Santana</p><p>Pirates receive: SP Eiberson Castellano</p><p>Dennis Santana is having a good season. The Pirates are not. This trade is just as simple as that, really. Pittsburgh has fought rumors that they will trade Paul Skenes away all season. The team has been unable to get out of their own way all year. Unfortunately, that includes <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-dennis-santana-suspension-fan-altercation">Santana, who was handed a four-game suspension by MLB earlier in June</a>.</p><p>The relief pitcher was seen swinging at Pirates fans during a game delay. It is a bad look for a team that does not need any more negative publicity this season. Outside of that incident, Santana has pitched effectively. Pittsburgh has 33 wins on the season and Santana has saves in five of them to go along with a <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/39801/dennis-santana" rel="noopener">1.57 ERA</a>.</p><p>Santana’s play this season, combined with the outlook on him right now, make him a perfect trade target. The Phillies could take advantage of the fact that the Pirates want to get rid of him and bring him in at pennies on the dollar. In a season where Philadelphia feels they are so close to a title, every little bit they can get out of all of their trades could make the difference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 sneaky trades Phillies must make to boost World Series chances

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-max-kepler-claims-being-lied-by-franchise');   ga('set', 'title', 'Max Kepler claims being lied to by Phillies');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Phillies-news-Max-Kepler-claims-being-lied-to-by-franchise.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Rassol-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Max Kepler claims being lied to by Phillies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T14:24:09-07:00">June 27th, 2:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T14:24:09-07:00">June 27th, 2:24pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies have set themselves up for success this season. They are just behind the New York Mets in the National League East despite some <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-benched-crossing-line-rob-thomson">drama between manager Rob Thomson and Nick Castellanos</a>. However, Castellanos is not the only outfielder that is unhappy with the team.</p><p>Veteran left fielder Max Kepler is upset that Otto Kemp has spelled him so much this season. Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly signed the 32-year-old to a one-year, $10 million deal this offseason. He came in as the presumptive starter and has played in the majority of Philadelphia’s games this season.</p><p>According to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, Kepler called out Mattingly and the organization for <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/06/27/sports/max-kepler-says-phillies-broke-their-offseason-promise-to-him/">misleading him</a>.</p><p>“The biggest challenge for me is not playing routinely,” Kepler said. “That’s the biggest challenge. I was told I was going to be the starting left fielder.”</p><p>Heading into Friday’s matchup against the Atlanta Braves, Thomson has started Kepler in 60 of the team’s 81 games. Kemp has played ahead of him in games throughout the season, especially against left-handed pitchers.</p><p>Kepler’s issue is with the team’s lack of faith in him, but his play has not inspired confidence. When Mattingly brought him to Philadelphia this offseason, he had a 24 home run season two years earlier. In 2025, his WAR is the lowest of any year in his career where he played more than five games.</p><p>Kepler’s lack of production is not acceptable for a Phillies team looking to contend for a World Series title. Thomson has pressed the right buttons so far this year, but the trend of upset players is concerning.</p><p>Despite Kepler’s statement against Mattingly and the team, Philadelphia is still winning. However, his role could change if the rumors if the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-mets-phillies-white-sox-luis-robert-jr-trade">Phillies’ interest in Luis Robert Jr. are legitimate</a>.</p><p>Kepler is in the back half of his career. Unfortunately for him, he may just have to accept that his role will not be as big as it once was.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Max Kepler claims being lied to by Phillies

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-mets-phillies-white-sox-luis-robert-jr-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Mets, Phillies still keeping trade tabs on struggling White Sox star');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Luis-Robert-Jr_6d127d.jpg"><figcaption>Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Mets, Phillies still keeping trade tabs on struggling White Sox star</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T09:22:15-07:00">June 25th, 9:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T09:22:15-07:00">June 25th, 9:22am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago White Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There was a time when Luis Robert Jr. was receiving comparisons to Mike Trout. He was expected to become MLB’s next superstar. Sure, he’s had some strong seasons, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/white-sox-news-luis-robert-jr-bad-thinks-nobody-wants-trade-him">Robert has unquestionably not lived up to the lofty expectations</a>. The Chicago White Sox outfielder has dealt with injuries, but his overall play has been lackluster in 2025 as well.</p><p>Robert was going to be the player who helped the White Sox become the best team in the American League Central for years to come. Instead, with the 2025 MLB trade deadline right around the corner, the White Sox are reportedly preparing to move on from him.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-rumors-mets-padres-urged-to-make-luis-robert-jr-trade">Trade rumors have swirled around Robert</a> in recent seasons. Interest in him is not what it once was given his injury history and 2025 struggles, but there are still teams that <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/06/25/mlb-trade-deadline-2025-rumors-best-players-top-targets/84345919007/" rel="noopener">may be open to acquiring</a> the 2023 All-Star.</p><p>“It’s not as if anyone is going to pick up the $20 million options on him this year or next, but the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are keeping close tabs on him,” Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote in a recent article.</p><p>As for the likelihood of Robert being traded, well, let’s just say Nightengale got brutally honest on the subject.</p><p>“The likelihood of Robert being traded barring an injury? Just about 100%. The White Sox don’t want him. They don’t need him. And they know they should have traded him during the winter,” Nightengale wrote.</p><p>This is the same player who once drew comparisons to future Hall of Famer Mike Trout. He was going to be a consistent MVP candidate. Robert featured the ceiling of the future best player in MLB.</p><p>Now, according to Nightengale, the White Sox “don’t want him” on the roster.</p><p>Robert is slashing just .184/.271/.302 through 71 games played so far in 2025. He’s hit seven home runs and has a .573 OPS. It’s been a challenging campaign to say the least for Robert, but his potential remains intriguing at 27 years old. As a result, teams such as the Phillies, Mets and possibly others are not closing the door on a potential trade.</p><p>Perhaps all Luis Robert Jr. needs is a fresh start.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Mets, Phillies still keeping trade tabs on struggling White Sox star

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-insane-grab-astros');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Ranger Suarez makes insane grab vs. Astros');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Ranger-Suarez-with-Philadelphia-Phillies-1.jpg"><figcaption>Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies’ Ranger Suarez makes insane grab vs. Astros</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T18:58:09-07:00">June 24th, 6:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-24T18:58:09-07:00">June 24th, 6:58pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros opened their series with a pitcher’s duel on Tuesday night. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/astros-news-framber-valdez-strikeout-record-nolan-ryan">Framber Valdez was dealing for Houston</a>, allowing just three hits and no runs through six innings. Phillies starter Ranger Suarez started great as well, preserving a no-hitter with an <a href="https://x.com/SportsRadioWIP/status/1937682901887332439" rel="noopener">insane catch in the fifth inning</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ranger Suarez has allowed 0 hits through 5 innings 👀 <a href="https://t.co/lsN7Hmv9yM">pic.twitter.com/lsN7Hmv9yM</a></p><p>— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsRadioWIP/status/1937682901887332439?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Astros rookie right fielder Cam Smith hit a scorching line drive right back at Suarez, who snagged it out of the air. Baseball Savant says that Smith <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/gamefeed?gamePk=777377" rel="noopener">hit that ball</a> 78.8 miles per hour with an expected batting average of .380. Luckily for the Phillies, Suarez was there to snag it and get the second out of the inning. Christian Walker made an out to end the fifth, preserving the no-hitter.</p><p>Suarez’s no-hit bid did not last any longer. Yanier Diaz opened the sixth inning with a single, and Cooper Hummel followed up with one of his own. But Suarez did keep the shutout going, forcing a Mauricio Dubon double play and striking out Isaac Paredes.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-shutout-blue-jays">Suarez has been one of the many bright spots for the Phillies</a> this year. He had a 2.20 ERA in nine starts entering the game on Tuesday. That number continues to drop as he continues to mow down Astros hitters. Of all pitchers on the Phillies’ roster with more than two appearances, Suarez has the lowest ERA.</p><p>The Astros have been hot of late, going 28-15 since May 6, when they were under .500. It is a similar path to the AL West lead that they took last year, just reaching the pinnacle a little earlier. Recent struggles from the Seattle Mariners have them five games up heading into the Phillies series. That makes this performance all the more impressive from Suarez.</p><p>The Phillies and Astros will continue their series on Wednesday with Zach Wheeler and Colton Gordon taking the mound.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Ranger Suarez makes insane grab vs. Astros

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-retiring-whit-merrifield-hilarious-take-philly-tenure');   ga('set', 'title', 'Retiring Whit Merrifield drops hilarious take on Phillies tenure');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Whit-Merrifield-as-a-member-of-the-Phillies.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Retiring Whit Merrifield drops hilarious take on Phillies tenure</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T15:37:59-07:00">June 24th, 3:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-24T15:37:59-07:00">June 24th, 3:37pm</time><address><a>Russell Steinberg</a>Russell Steinberg covers Major League Baseball and the New York Liberty for ClutchPoints. A baseball and basketball lifer, he has written for Boardroom, SLAM, SB Nation, The Next, and more. He graduated from NYU in 2012 and still returns to serve as PA announcer and occasional broadcaster for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Three-time All-Star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-news-whit-merrifield-retires-nine-seasons">Whit Merrifield announced his retirement</a> on Tuesday, and on his way out the door, he took time to thank Philadelphia Phillies fans in the most hilarious way possible.</p><p>Merrifield played for the Phillies in 2024, hitting just .199 with a .572 OPS <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-make-whit-merrifield-roster-decision">before the team released him</a> and he caught on with the Atlanta Braves.</p><p>“Philly, I liked you way more than you liked me,” he wrote in his goodbye post on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLTEI7iypHX/" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>. “Sorry I stunk for you.”</p><p>Merrifield was slightly better for Atlanta, where he hit .248 with a pedestrian .648 OPS. He became a free agent at the end of last season and did not sign with a team over the winter.</p><p>“Since I’ve not had some time away from the game, I’ve had a chance to reflect on my individual career for the first time in my life,” Merrifield wrote. “I’m proud of myself. The toughness I developed and the things I was able to accomplish, nobody outside of my camp thought possible. I spent a lot of energy proving people wrong but my real joy came from proving my small circle of believers right.”</p><h2><b>Ex Phillies OF Whit Merrifield made his name with the Royals</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Whit-Merrifield-with-the-Royals.jpg"><figcaption>Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While Merrifield’s time in the National League East didn’t go so well, he was one of the best hitters in the American League from 2017 to 2021. He <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/ex-royals-all-star-blasts-jac-caglianone-roster-move-criticism">came up with the Kansas City Royals</a> and led the AL in hits in 2018 and 2019. He also led the league in stolen bases in 2017, 2018 and 2021.</p><p>Two of Merrifield’s three All-Star nods came as a member of the Royals and he finished his time in the City of Fountains seventh in franchise history in steals (174) with a .286 average in that time.</p><p>The Royals then traded Merrifield to the Toronto Blue Jays midway through the 2022 season where he was a member of two Blue Jays playoff teams.</p><p>“I was so privileged and blessed to have played in the cities I played in,” Merrifield wrote. “KC, you became a second home to my family and I. Toronto, playing for an entire country was an honour I’ll never forget.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Retiring Whit Merrifield drops hilarious take on Phillies tenure

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-mets-loss-phillies-28-game-francisco-lindor-streak');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mets loss to Phillies ends ridiculous 28-game Francisco Lindor streak');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Francisco-Lindor-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Mets loss to Phillies ends ridiculous 28-game Francisco Lindor streak</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-23T00:46:27-07:00">June 23rd, 12:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-23T00:46:27-07:00">June 23rd, 12:46am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The streak is over. For nearly two full seasons, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mets-news-alonso-praises-francisco-lindor-clutch-win">every time Francisco Lindor homered</a> in a regular-season game, the New York Mets won. That streak — an eye-popping 28 straight regular-season victories when the star shortstop left the yard — ended Sunday night in Philadelphia. Despite Lindor’s late solo shot, the Mets fell 7-1 to the Phillies, snapping one of the more <a href="https://x.com/NYPost_Mets/status/1936960812629078175" rel="noopener">bizarrely successful streaks</a> in recent MLB memory.</p><p>The loss drops the Mets further behind in the NL East, and ends a run of results that dated back to 2022. Including the playoffs, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mets-news-extend-wild-francisco-lindor-streak-win-dodgers">New York had won 30 consecutive games when Lindor homered</a>. According to MLB researcher Sarah Langs, Lindor’s 28-game regular-season streak ranked second all-time behind only Carl Furillo’s 29-game run with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1951–53.</p><p>Lindor’s blast came too little, too late. The Phillies, behind a dominant Jesús Luzardo, jumped on New York starter David Peterson in a five-run fourth inning. Kyle Schwarber launched his 24th homer to spark the rally, and Edmundo Sosa’s three-run blast broke the game open. Luzardo (7-3) was nearly untouchable, holding the Mets to three hits and one run across 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven.</p><h2><b>Francisco Lindor’s home run not enough to push struggling Mets passed Phillies</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Francisco-Lindor-3.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“Schwarber’s homer changed the game,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said postgame. “We were in control, then they just put together a big inning.” Peterson (5-3) struggled in that decisive frame, allowing five hits and two walks. He didn’t return for the fifth after throwing 72 pitches in four innings.</p><p>Sosa continued to torment the Mets with a single and double on top of his homer, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. Meanwhile, Lindor homered for the second straight night, but the Mets couldn’t capitalize. After Saturday’s win, in which Lindor also went deep, he was asked about the now-ended streak.</p><p>“I wish I would’ve hit home runs in Atlanta,” he joked, referencing the Mets’ recent sweep at the hands of the Braves. “Some days you hit home runs and we win, some days you hit home runs and we don’t. I guess I’ve been hitting them on the good days.”</p><p>Until now.</p><p>The Mets have now lost eight of nine and fallen a game behind the Phillies, who regained sole possession of first place in the NL East with the victory. For New York, the silver lining is that Lindor seems to be heating up again at the plate. But the aura of invincibility when he goes yard? That’s officially gone.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mets loss to Phillies ends ridiculous 28-game Francisco Lindor streak

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ken-rosenthal-pulls-back-the-curtain-on-mick-abels-2025-turnaround');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ken Rosenthal pulls back the curtain on Phillies rookie Mick Abel’s 2025 turnaround');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Mick-Abel.jpg"></figure><h1>Ken Rosenthal pulls back the curtain on Phillies rookie Mick Abel’s 2025 turnaround</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-22T13:01:20-07:00">June 22nd, 1:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-22T13:01:20-07:00">June 22nd, 1:01pm</time><address><a>Dylan Fine</a>Dylan Fine focuses on the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints, in addition to working on the meme team. Dylan is a graduate of Georgetown University and has covered various topics ranging from local politics in the DMV region with DC Voter For Animals to live sporting events in the Long Island and Rochester areas with The Southampton Press and Pickin’Splinters. When he isn't working, he's usually running in preparation for the next annual Turkey Trot.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>MLB on FOX field reporter Ken Rosenthal pulled back the curtain on Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Mick Abel’s 2025 turnaround. Even though he was a first-round pick in 2025, it’s been a long road to the majors for the Portland, Oregon native. But the 23-year-old is now in the middle of his rookie year amid an encouraging season.</p><p>Through five stars, Abel is 2-1 with a 3.47 ERA, proving himself to be a reliable starter already on this level. Abel picked up his first loss against the New York Mets last night, but it’s a learning experience he’s bound to get better from. Rosenthal detailed Mick’s <a href="https://x.com/MLBONFOX/status/1936572279414260074" rel="noopener">path during</a> the Phillies’ 11-4 loss to their divisional rival.</p><p>“Abel was a mess in Triple-A last season with a 6.46 ERA. He credits his turnaround in part due to his mental performance coach Brian Cain who helped him develop routines and improved his attention to detail. Abel said his lack of success last season kind of took a toll on him mentally. He described himself as an incomplete man who needed to become a more solid human being. Well, he’s trying, trying to become more well-rounded. Hanging out with friends, playing more video games, just enjoying life.”</p><p>The Phillies are currently 46-31 and tied with the Mets for first place in the NL East. After a somewhat slow start for this group, Rob Thomson’s team has found its form as the season has continued. Now, Philadelphia is one of the preeminent contenders in the National League along with the Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s a fine line between all four of these teams, and each franchise will likely make some moves on the margin before the trade deadline on July 31.</p><p>For the Phillies, this current roster could use another reliable bat, particularly from the outfield, as well as added depth in the bullpen. Philadelphia does have one of the best starting rotations in the league. Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-philadelphia-2025-all-star-team">Cristopher Sanchez are all pitching like All-Stars</a> this season and primed to be playoff starters. That fourth spot in the rotation is somewhat up for grabs between players like Abel and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-philadelphia-acquires-jesus-luzardo-trade-marlins">Jesus Luzardo, who Philadelphia traded for</a> during the offseason. In addition, former All-Star Aaron Nola will return later in the summer.</p><p>Overall, Abel will play a pivotal role in October should he continue to develop. The Phillies have to love the progress they’ve seen from their young pitcher, and the best should be yet to come, especially as he continues to maintain his new lifestyle choices.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ken Rosenthal pulls back the curtain on Phillies rookie Mick Abel’s 2025 turnaround

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-zack-wheeler-take-soto-after-win');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Zack Wheeler’s blunt take on Juan Soto battle after beating Mets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Zach-Wheeler-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies’ Zack Wheeler’s blunt take on Juan Soto battle after beating Mets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-21T06:43:54-07:00">June 21st, 6:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-21T06:43:54-07:00">June 21st, 6:43am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies surged into sole possession of first place in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-jt-realmuto-nick-castellanos-insane-base-running-feat-mets">NL East standings with a decisive 10-2 victory</a> over their division rivals, the New York Mets, Friday night. Amid this important series, ace Zack Wheeler provided valuable innings, pitching five scoreless frames and demonstrating why he’s among baseball’s top pitchers.</p><p>After the crucial divisional victory, Wheeler gave his candid thoughts on battling Juan Soto, now with the Mets, amplifying the intensity of this classic NL East rivalry. Soto and Wheeler have squared off numerous times over the years, dating back to Soto’s tenure with the Washington Nationals, highlighting a respected competition between two top-tier talents in the sport.</p><p>SNY Mets posted Wheeler’s reflections on X, formerly known as Twitter, highlighting the pitcher’s appreciation for these competitive matchups.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"He's a competitor. I'm a competitor. I always enjoy facing him."</p><p>Zack Wheeler talks about having Juan Soto back in the NL East, this time with the Mets: <a href="https://t.co/Tp6VmdAizm">pic.twitter.com/Tp6VmdAizm</a></p><p>— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) <a href="https://twitter.com/SNY_Mets/status/1936255307254043125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“He’s a competitor. I’m a competitor. I always enjoy facing him.”</p><p>This <a href="https://x.com/SNY_Mets/status/1936255307254043125" rel="noopener">mutual respect</a> adds another compelling layer to the long-standing rivalry between the Phillies and Mets. Despite Wheeler’s sharp outing, the win went to Tanner Banks (2-0), who held New York in check after reliever Taijuan Walker faltered in relief.</p><p>Philadelphia’s offense exploded in a pivotal seventh inning. Key hits from Nick Castellanos and Bryson Stott, who delivered a bases-clearing triple, ultimately buried New York’s hopes. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-zack-wheeler-makes-history-1000th-strikeout">Wheeler’s composed outing, however, set the foundation</a>, underscoring his critical role as the Phillies ace.</p><p>This season has further solidified Wheeler’s reputation in baseball, boasting a stellar 2.61 ERA, placing him among the leaders in the National League. With each start, the right-hander continues to demonstrate his value, anchoring Philadelphia’s pitching staff as they strive toward a division title.</p><p>Meanwhile, Soto struggled to make an impact Friday, going hitless with two walks. Currently mired in a slump, Soto is batting just .174 over his past seven games. Nevertheless, Wheeler acknowledged the unique challenge Soto presents, reflecting the respectful yet competitive nature of their frequent battles in the NL East.</p><p>The victory was a statement for the Phillies, now leading by a narrow margin in the increasingly competitive NL East standings. The Mets, meanwhile, are spiraling, dropping their seventh consecutive game, highlighting a stark contrast in momentum within this division rivalry.</p><p>The Phillies’ performance underscores their dominance in recent weeks, now winning eight of their last nine. However, the respect Wheeler shows Soto emphasizes Philadelphia’s cautious optimism, aware of the talent and potential threat the Mets still possess. With many divisional matchups still to play, the fierce Mets rivalry will undoubtedly remain a compelling narrative in the MLB season ahead.</p><p>As the series continues, expect Wheeler to maintain his crucial leadership role, shaping the Phillies’ pursuit of a NL East title and World Series run in a competitive 2025 MLB landscape.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Zack Wheeler’s blunt take on Juan Soto battle after beating Mets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-jt-realmuto-nick-castellanos-insane-base-running-feat-mets');   ga('set', 'title', 'JT Realmuto, Nick Castellanos accomplish an insane base running feat vs. Mets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Castellanos-and-Realmuto2.jpg"></figure><h1>JT Realmuto, Nick Castellanos accomplish an insane base running feat vs. Mets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-20T22:11:20-07:00">June 20th, 10:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-20T22:30:42-07:00">June 20th, 10:30pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies opened a critical three-game series against the New York Mets Friday with first place in the NL East on the line. The teams were tied with identical 45-30 records at the start of the day. But the Phillies scored a big victory over New York, powered in part by Nick Castellanos, who’s played with renewed energy after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-benched-crossing-line-rob-thomson">being benched by manager Rob Thomson</a> earlier this week. And the veteran right fielder teamed up with J.T. Realmuto to pull off a wild base running feat.</p><p>With the score tied 2-2 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, the Phillies broke the game open, batting around and scoring six runs. But the final two runs of the inning were a <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1936241232927199568" rel="noopener">sight to behold</a>.</p><p>Second baseman Bryson Stott came up with the bases loaded and delivered a three-run double off the wall in left. Alec Bohm easily scored from third. But Realmuto showed off some serious speed, scoring from first and nearly passing Castellanos, who was heading home from second.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">MADNESS 🤯</p><p>Bryson Stott clears the bases! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FridayNightBaseball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FridayNightBaseball</a> <a href="https://t.co/4J0oTXxizM">pic.twitter.com/4J0oTXxizM</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1936241232927199568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Realmuto was right behind Castellanos as the pair rounded third and approached home plate. They then both slid and beat the tag, almost simultaneously adding two runs to the scoreboard and putting the Phillies up 8-2.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">MUST SEE: This angle of two Phillies crossing the plate is WILD 🤯 <a href="https://t.co/RLSz36yQ4X">pic.twitter.com/RLSz36yQ4X</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1936242291632750726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto score in a Phillies rout</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Castellanos-and-Realmuto.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Castellanos added a two-run homer in the eighth inning to put Philadelphia up 10-2. He hammered a 96 mph four-seamer from Justin Garza 428 feet to center for his eighth bomb of the season.</p><p>The deep shot capped off a three-hit, three-RBI game for the two-time All-Star, as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-benching-response">Castellanos has responded to his benching</a> with clutch performances.</p><p>Earlier in the month, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-history-231st-consecutive-start">Castellanos made his 231st consecutive start</a> for the Phillies. The iron man feat gave him the longest streak for the franchise since Pete Rose nearly 40 years ago. Unfortunately, some choice words for Thomson led to the 13th-year veteran getting benched, which ended his consecutive games played streak.</p><p>Still, Castellanos and the Phillies are playing with renewed purpose of late. A slump at the beginning of June allowed the Mets to take over first place in the NL East as the Phillies lost nine of 10 games. However, since then, the team has turned things around. Philadelphia has now won three straight games and nine of the last 11. With the victory over the Mets Friday, the Phillies recaptured sole possession of first place in the division.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

JT Realmuto, Nick Castellanos accomplish an insane base running feat vs. Mets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-bryce-harper-takes-key-step-in-injury-rehab');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Bryce Harper takes key step in injury rehab');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Philadelphia-Phillies-first-baseman-Bryce-Harper.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies’ Bryce Harper takes key step in injury rehab</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-20T14:37:12-07:00">June 20th, 2:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-20T14:57:19-07:00">June 20th, 2:57pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson and his team were dealt a tough blow in early June. Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper was put on the injured list thanks to wrist inflammation. His exit came just three days after he rejoined Philadelphia’s roster after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-bryce-harper-pivotal-update-injury-scare-braves">Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider hit him in the elbow with a pitch</a>.</p><p>However, Harper’s recovery is going well, according to Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Scott Lauber. The former NL MVP took some swings off a tee and fielded ground balls before the Phillies’ game against the New York Mets. He did so without a brace on his wrist, a good sign that his injury is not bothering him as much anymore.</p><p>Harper is not rushing his recovery, though, taking things <a href="https://x.com/ScottLauber/status/1936170457427771580" rel="noopener">one day at a time</a>.</p><p>“Just got to see how it feels tomorrow,” Harper said.</p><p>Thomson does not have a timetable for his All-Star’s return to the lineup. However, the Phillies’ manager would like to have him back as soon as possible.</p><p>Philadelphia enters their second series of the season against the Mets at least than full strength. Thomson will have to rely on the rest of his stars to even up the matchup after New York swept them at home in late April. The first matchup featured its fair share of drama, including <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-rob-thomson-edwin-diaz-faked-injury">Thomson accusing Mets reliever Edwin Diaz of faking an injury</a>.</p><p>Both teams have been fighting for the top spot in the NL East for most of the season. The Atlanta Braves have faltered, and Spencer Strider and Co. are 10 games behind them before Friday’s action.</p><p>The race is so close that the winner of the series will lead the division. New York and Philadelphia would like to win against their chief rival. However, both squads have their sights set a bit higher this season.</p><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers are still the favorites to win the NL. However, the Mets and Phillies both made moves in the offseason and could take the defending World Series champions down. Their weekend series will go a long way in determining just how far each team has to go in order to get where they want to be.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Bryce Harper takes key step in injury rehab

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-benching-response');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Nick Castellanos breaks silence after recent benching');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Nick-Castellanos-hitting-during-Phillies-vs-Pirates.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies’ Nick Castellanos breaks silence after recent benching</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-19T17:25:19-07:00">June 19th, 5:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-19T17:25:19-07:00">June 19th, 5:25pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies are battling in the thick of the NL East race, but the spotlight recently shifted to veteran outfielder <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-benched-crossing-line-rob-thomson">Nick Castellanos following a rare benching</a>. Now, just days after being pulled from a game and missing a start, Castellanos has broken his silence — and backed it up with his play.</p><p>In an intense Phillies vs. Miami Marlins showdown Wednesday night, Castellanos delivered a performance that silenced critics and redeemed a week full of headlines. He collected two hits and made a game-saving catch in the bottom of the ninth to preserve a crucial 4–2 win. The game wasn’t just a bounce-back, it was a message.</p><p>The context stems from an incident on June 16th, when the 33-year-old slugger was pulled late by manager Rob Thomson for defensive reasons. After reportedly making an inappropriate comment, he was benched the next game, ending his 236-game start streak, the longest active for the Phillies, and second longest in MLB.</p><p>In a feature by The Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes, Castellanos <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6438982/2025/06/19/philadelphia-phillies-nick-castellanos-benching-comments/?source=user_shared_article" rel="noopener">addressed the situation</a> with honesty and poise, indicating everything has been resolved.</p><p>“We’re two grown men that show up every day for work with a common goal of winning a World Series. If everybody just agrees on everything and doesn’t speak their mind, there’s not going to be passion. Emotions drive people, especially passionate people. To think that there’s going to be eight months of consistently being together and not butting heads at all — it probably doesn’t happen, right?”</p><p>The quote paints a clear picture. This was a heated moment between competitors with a shared goal. And in a season where the Phillies defense struggles have drawn attention, Castellanos’ defensive redemption couldn’t have been timed better. His diving grab in right field came with two runners on and the tying run at the plate — a play that sealed the win and capped his emotional return.</p><p>Though he’s been a strong offensive contributor, Castellanos has received criticism for poor fielding metrics. His 2025 season includes a minus-8 Outs Above Average and minus-10 Defensive Runs Saved — among the worst in the league. However, Castellanos has begun requesting regular stat packets from team president Dave Dombrowski to better understand and improve defensively, even if he doesn’t always buy into analytics personally.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-history-231st-consecutive-start">Thomson’s decision to sit a veteran like Castellanos was bold</a>, but the fallout appears to have sparked something more meaningful: accountability, reflection, and leadership. As the Phillies push for control of the NL East, just one game behind the New York Mets entering Thursday, the moment may prove pivotal.</p><p>The drama surrounding the right fielder being benched has turned into a story of resilience. His solid play on Wednesday wasn’t just a defensive highlight, it was a response and maybe the beginning of something bigger for both Castellanos and the club.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Nick Castellanos breaks silence after recent benching

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-philadelphia-2025-all-star-team');   ga('set', 'title', '3 Philadelphia Phillies who must make 2025 All-Star Team');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/X-Philadelphia-Phillies-who-must-make-2025-All-Star-Team.jpg"></figure><h1>3 Philadelphia Phillies who must make 2025 All-Star Team</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-19T12:36:58-07:00">June 19th, 12:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-19T12:36:58-07:00">June 19th, 12:36pm</time><address><a>RB Hayek</a>RB Hayek has been writing about sports for over a decade and is currently a member of ClutchPoints' editorial team after primarily focusing on betting content. In addition, he is also a published author of thriller novels, available on Amazon.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies are having a fantastic season, currently second in the National League East. They are making a case for themselves as World Series contenders. Ultimately, much of this is because of their plethora of stars. But while Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, and J.T. Realmuto have all received All-Star votes, others also deserve praise. Nick Castellanos, Ranger Suarez, and Cristopher Sanchez should all have the chance to represent the Phillies and get a spot on the 2025 All-Star team.</p><p>The MLB fan voting is <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/2025-mlb-all-star-ballot-first-update" rel="noopener">starting to unravel</a>, and the list has revealed many names. Naturally, the popular names like Harper and Shohei Ohtani are there. Several other players have emerged and could certainly make a case for themselves in the All-Star Game. With a few weeks away, there is a chance these players might make the cut.</p><p>The Phillies are stacked with stars. With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-bryce-harper-injury-otto-kemp">Harper dealing with injuries,</a> there is a possibility that a spot could open up. Would any of his teammates be considered to replace him? It’s certainly a possibility. Here is how Castellanos, Suarez, and Sanchez rank, and why they should be in the Midsummer Classic.</p><h2><b>Nick Castellanos should be on the All-Star team</b></h2><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-key-recent-hot-streak">Castellanos recently had a hot streak</a>, during which he produced impressive numbers. The right fielder is certainly making his case for being on the All-Star Team. So far, he is batting .281 with seven home runs, 36 RBIs, and 32 runs. Castellanos also has a .428 slugging percentage and a .322 on-base percentage. However, the basic numbers don’t detail everything he has done.</p><p><a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/nick-castellanos-592206?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb" rel="noopener">The numbers</a> on Baseball Savant are not the greatest in every category. Still, he excels in certain areas. For example, Castellanos has a sweet spot value of 95. The only thing that might work against him is the fact that he has struggled in other categories. Yet, Castellanos has still shown what he can do and how he can help this team. His defense has not been perfect, but he has still made plays to help them win.</p><p>Castellanos shined in a June 18 game against the Miami Marlins. Amazingly, <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1935507086651142529" rel="noopener">he made a game-saving catch</a> against the Marlins to help the Phillies prevail. While he did not start the season well, things have been great lately, and he is making it tough to ignore him.</p><h2><b>Ranger Suarez is an ace for the Phillies</b></h2><p>Suarez likely will make the All-Star team. Significantly, he has been the best pitcher on the roster and continues to prove why he is a gem. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-ties-cole-hamels-quality-start-record">Suarez recently matched an old franchise record</a> with his incredible performance against the Marlins. Currently, he is 6-2 with a 2.20 ERA over nine starts. Not only do his numbers at eye level look good, but his metrics are extraordinary.</p><p>Baseball Savant has Suarez at a pitching run value of 96, a fastball run value of 95, and an offspeed run value of 87. Furthermore, his average exit velocity is 98, which is in the elite tier category. His barrel percentage is 97, and his hard-hit rate is 98. His expected ERA value is 93. Bottom line is that Suarez is hitting all the marks as a starting pitcher. He is getting outs and helping the Phillies win.</p><p>As noted earlier, his performance against the Marlins was top-notch. Suarez went seven innings while allowing one earned run on four hits, while striking out eight and walking one. Yet, his most remarkable performance came last week, when he hurled seven shutout innings while allowing four hits and striking out six. His May 28 outing against the Atlanta Braves also demonstrated how good he was when he tossed six shutout innings while allowing four hits. Suarez should be an All-Star, as his resume speaks for itself.</p><h2><b>Cristopher Sanchez is quietly delivering results</b></h2><p>Suarez has been good, but Sanchez has also been great. Currently, he is 5-2 with a 3.05 ERA over 14 starts. While he does not have all the accolades that Suarez and Zack Wheeler do, Sanchez has been just as great.</p><p>Sanchez has thrived off his oddspeed pitch, which currently has a value of 97. Additionally, his extension is valued at 93. His whiff percentage is at 78, and he continues to ascend. While there are areas for improvement, such as his pitching run value (72) and walk-rate percentage (52), there is a lot to be positive about with Sanchez.</p><p>Sanchez has an outside shot to make the All-Star team, as there might be a few pitchers ahead of him. Still, he has had five games where he went at least seven innings while allowing three or fewer earned runs. The Phillies always have a chance to win when he starts, and he has been one of the most reliable arms on the mound.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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