Rise and Phight: 5/5/2023

It’s early still. There should be more of a “concern” feeling around this team than one of “panic”, but this series still feels like a big one for the Phillies. They played pretty poorly in Los Angeles, so coming back home and playing well against two American League teams would go a long way to easing minds. It starts with the pitching, so all eyes will be on the starters to give the team effective length.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• The starting pitching has been among the myriad of issues facing the Phillies, something that needs to be rectified shortly.
• MLB, all the way up to Rob Manfred, denied the Phillies’ request for some extra time when Bryce Harper gets on base for him to put his protective pad on his elbow.
• Here are some random observations from the team that are pretty interesting.
• The team made a roster move yesterday, promoting a pitcher who was going to exercise an out clause in his contract.

MLB news:

• Paula Cole would like to know: where have all the burners gone?
• A third team in Florida? This group is trying to make it happen once MLB decides to expand.
• The Cubs are looking for a little more offense, so they’re dipping into their minor leagues for a little help.