Connor Brogdon fine after leaving game with apparent injury

Phillies fans, exhale.

Relief pitcher Connor Brogdon is fine and will not miss time after leaving Sunday’s spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates with what appeared to be an injury.

Manager Joe Girardi said that Brogdon’s rib tends to fall out of place on occasion, which is what happened on Sunday while Brogdon was facing Pirates hitter Phillip Evans. But this is not something that Girardi is concerned about in terms of keeping Brogdon off the field.

“I was just being overly cautious, he didn’t want to come out”, Girardi said after the game. “But it’s that time of the year that I’ll be overly cautious, and then he went and ran, so we don’t really have any concerns.

Brogdon, 26, figures to play an important role in the Phillies bullpen in 2021. After a strong finish to the 2020 season, the right-hander had thrown three perfect innings this spring coming into Sunday’s game.

While he struggled to the tune of a 16.88 ERA in his first three major league outings in 2020, Brogdon pitched brilliantly in September. In six appearances, he faced 29 batters and struck out 14 of them.

He allowed just three baserunners – two of them via walk – and no runs scored against him during that stretch.

The Phillies have certainly addressed the bullpen issues that plagued them in 2020 with the additions of Archie Bradley, Jose Alvarado, Tony Watson and Brandon Kintzler. But any length of absence from Brogdon, who has the potential to be a difference-maker in high-leverage situations, would have certainly hurt.

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