Evan Phillips Injury Update: Dodgers reliever says he avoided major setback following 'mild' hamstring strain

Evan Phillips has a slight hiccup on his road with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 29-year-old reliever has been put on a 15-day injured list by the club as they move forward with another series win.

In his last appearance against the Atlanta Braves at Dodgers Stadium on Friday, things went south for Phillips. His cleat got stuck, causing him a hamstring injury.

In an interview with SportsNet LA, Phillips shared that the injury is mild and that he’s positive about returning to the game in a few weeks.

“Just a really strange, unique situation that a cleat caught in the grass and when I tried to extend I just felt my hamstring pull a little bit,” Phillips said. “Fortunately it’s about as mild as it could get, so hopefully the road to recovery is smooth and simple and I’ll be back in a couple weeks."

“It’s really frustrating timing because I feel like I was in such a good spot on the mound and I certainly want to keep that consistency going.”

In 14 games, Phillips finished the game 11 times, posting a 0.66 ERA in 13.2 innings. He has given up three runs, of which only one is earned, and stuck out 17 batters.

Dodgers skipper named the replacement for Evan Phillips

With their sweeping to the Braves, the LA Dodgers are now on a four-game winning streak. Evan Phillips played a crucial role in their hot campaign. His sudden break has forced the management to alter their plans in mid-season.

“Very benign,” Dave Roberts, the Dodgers manager, said, via MLB.com. “So putting him on the IL, just feel that it shouldn’t be long and the hope is that once his stint is up, he’ll be back and ready to go.”

The Dodgers were unprepared for Phillips' departure. They have no particular name on the replacement list. Although Joe Kelly and Daniel Hudson are likely to fill his void for now, Roberts also named Blake Treinen a possible candidate for this job.

“It’s certainly unfortunate,” Roberts on Phillips’ injury. “You’re frustrated for the players. As far as us, it’s kind of the next man up and gives opportunity to someone else. In this case, obviously, Blake [Treinen] was gonna be back anyway, but it sort of keeps another player around for an opportunity.”

Treinen was on a long break following his right shoulder injury in 2022. He played a few games in the Cactus League this year for the Dodgers and seems to be in good shape to return to his old position.

The Dodgers are on a series-winning streak that started with the Washington Nationals. From Monday, their next challenger at the Dodgers Stadium is the Miami Marlins. The Marlins are 10-26 at the bottom of the NL East, while the Dodgers will welcome them as the NL West’s top team with a 23-13 record.