Author: Lochlahn March

WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper had a suggestion for Gabriel Rincones Jr.

The Phillies rookie spent his formative years living in Scotland due to his father’s work there as an offshore safety adviser in the oil industry, and his parents and sisters still live there.

Harper was sitting down one day with Zack Wheeler when Rincones walked by and said hello.

Harper started playing the bagpipes on his phone, and told Rincones that he should incorporate the Scottish instrument into one of his walk-up songs.

“Hell, yeah,” Rincones said.

He settled on “Scotland the Brave,” a patriotic Scottish song played on the bagpipes, and walked up to it in his second at-bat at home last Tuesday. (Rincones’ main walk-up song is “Zombie” by the Irish band The Cranberries.)

It was a special moment, hearing a traditional Scottish song before a major league at-bat, but Rincones doesn’t think he will stick with it.

“It just gets me too riled up,” he said. “It’s like I can’t focus.”

But even if it isn’t soundtracked by the bagpipes, Rincones still takes pride in representing Scotland on the major league stage. His family moved from Venezuela to Glenrothes, Scotland, when he was 6 years old. He lived there until age 12, when he moved back to Venezuela to pursue a baseball career, and ended up in Florida after that.

“That I have some part of representing Scotland is awesome,” Rincones said. “I grew up there, have friends there, ties there.”

Scotland was where Rincones first learned English, so he actually speaks with a Scottish accent.

When he’s in the United States, though, he is able to switch into an American accent. But when speaking to his family or friends back in Scotland, he slips back into it. After Phillies outfield coach Paco Figueroa told newly acquired Derek Hill that Rincones grew up in Scotland, Hill thought he was joking until Rincones broke out the accent to prove it.

“I get stuck speaking like this sometimes. I just can’t get my words up, but when it’s talking with my friends back home, or my little sister, it’s just fluid,” he said.

Rincones also loves haggis, a traditional Scottish dish made of sheep organs that he would often eat at restaurants growing up.

He visits his family in Glenrothes, Scotland in the offseason, usually spending Christmas there. It can be hard to train for baseball while he’s there, so he sometimes has to get creative for batting practice.

“I bought this little BP machine, where it throws like little tiny balls and you can make it throw curveballs and stuff,” Rincones said. “But it’s so windy over there that I can’t just do it outside. I have to go to a fitness center and then rent out half a basketball court.”

It’s been fun for Rincones to watch the Tartan Army — the supporters of Scotland’s national soccer team — take over baseball stadiums while they are in the U.S. for the World Cup. Many Scotland supporters went to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park last week for Scottish Heritage night, a day after their team beat Haiti in its first match.

And ahead of its next match against Brazil in Miami on Wednesday, hundreds of Scottish fans — including a group of bagpipers — caught a Marlins game at LoanDepot Park on Monday night.

“They’ve never cared about baseball, but they just want to have a good time,” Rincones said.

In Rincones’ experience, the baseball community in Scotland is very niche. He played in a men’s league in Scotland with his father growing up to stay involved in the game he loved before eventually moving away to pursue it more seriously.

His friends used to tease him about his major league dreams, and now many of them stay up late into the night to catch MLB games from across the Atlantic.

But no matter how small the community may be, Rincones is proud to have a chance to represent it.

“A part of me is always going to be in Scotland,” he said.

Extra bases

Kyle Schwarber was scratched from Tuesday’s game shortly before first pitch with low back tightness. Edmundo Sosa replaced him in the lineup as designated hitter. … Aaron Nola (3-4, 5.71 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday against Nationals right-hander Miles Mikolas (2-6, 5.47).

WASHINGTON — The Phillies have a solution for their fifth spot in the rotation, for the time being.

The team called up Alan Rangel from triple-A Lehigh Valley ahead of Monday’s game against the Nationals. The right-hander, who has a 3.99 ERA in 70 innings with the IronPigs, was scheduled to appear behind lefty opener Tim Mayza on Monday, which started in a rain delay. And according to interim manager Don Mattingly, the plan is for Rangel, 28, to stick around with the big league club for now.

“I mean, at this point I think we’ve kind of made a commitment to that spot,” Mattingly said. “I’m not saying we’re making a commitment to a full start every time. It could be openers, it could be starting. Sometimes the team lineup construction depends.”

This marks Rangel’s second stint with the big league club this season. He appeared in one game in April, allowing one earned run and striking out five over three innings against the Cubs. In six career major league games, Rangel has a 2.57 ERA.

The fifth rotation spot had been vacated by Andrew Painter, who was optioned last week to reset and work on his fastball after struggling to a 7.06 ERA. Painter is scheduled to throw multiple bullpen sessions before seeing game action in triple A.

The Phillies used Mayza as an opener on Monday because of the Nationals’ left-handed heavy lineup. Washington had six lefties and switch-hitters penciled into their lineup for the series opener. But facing a team with more righties, Mattingly said he would feel comfortable using Rangel as a traditional starter.

“I’ve seen him only pitch a little bit in spring training, but I think the fact that Rangel has kind of been the guy throwing the best, they felt like, down there, and he was going to be the best guy, long-term, for us,” Mattingly said. “ … We’ll see what he can do. He’s throwing the ball well. Last time he came up, felt like he threw the ball well. So we’ll see what it looks like.”

Backhus reactivated

The Phillies had the flexibility to use Mayza in an opening role because Kyle Backhus (left elbow inflammation) was activated from the 15-day injured list on Monday, giving the Phillies three lefties in the bullpen, also including José Alvarado.

Backhus, a sidearmer, had a 4.66 ERA before landing on the injured list on April 30. However, that number is skewed by his first appearance of the season on March 26, when he gave up three earned runs in ⅓ of an inning.

After that, Backhus had been pitching his way into a higher-leverage role, and had allowed one earned run across his last five appearances before the injury.

“He was throwing the ball really well, and it felt like he was getting his outs and looking really good,” Mattingly said. “As you get a guy back, you just kind of get comfortable first, we wouldn’t like stick him in the eighth or anything like that. But we do think he is a guy that matches up well with the lefties. He’s a different look for us. I like him, he’s really athletic, he handles the position well, so has a lot of good things other than just pitching.”

Extra bases

MLB released its second update for its All-Star fan voting on Sunday, and Brandon Marsh has accumulated 1,256,874 votes and ranks second among National League outfielders, only behind the Dodgers’ Andy Pages (1,518,451). The top two position players and top three outfielders once voting closes on June 25 will advance to the second phase. Also in position to advance is Kyle Schwarber (1,540,202, second among designated hitters), Bryson Stott (801,006, second among second basemen), and Alec Bohm (804,309 votes, second among third basemen). … Jesús Luzardo (6-4, 4.20 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday opposite Nationals right-hander Zack Littell (6-6, 5.45).

When Aaron Nola threw the first pitch of Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers, the temperature at Citizens Bank Park was a chilly 45 degrees.

Fans in the stands were bundled up in blankets, and several Phillies wore red balaclavas underneath their baseball caps for the coldest first pitch in Philadelphia since 2019.

For the first eight innings, the Phillies’ bats reflected the weather.

A furious ninth-inning rally spurred some late excitement and forced extras, but the Phillies ultimately fell, 5-4, to the Rangers in the 10th.

“They kept after it,” said manager Rob Thomson. “Two big hits with two strikes. Never gave up.”

The winning run was scored on Phillies closer Jhoan Duran in the 10th inning. A single from Wyatt Langford, a bloop just 67.8 mph off the bat, advanced ghost-running Brandon Nimmo, who then came home on a wild pitch. Andrew McCutchen then singled to drive in an insurance run.

With two runners on in the bottom of the 10th and the opportunity to answer back, Kyle Schwarber challenged the strike call on a cutter from Tyler Alexander that barely caught the bottom outside corner of the zone. The call was confirmed, and when Alexander threw a changeup below the zone for a called third strike to Schwarber, the Phillies had no challenges remaining to attempt to overturn it.

“It’s a game of inches. It’s less than inches,” Brandon Marsh said. “I’m still getting used to it. … It’s kind of nuts seeing just how close those balls are to the zone, missing or barely catching it. I feel like we’re all still trying to get a good gauge for it, and as the season goes on, we’ll figure it out.”

Thomson said he had no issue with Schwarber using the Phillies’ final challenge in that situation.

“Especially with those guys late in the game like that, it could change the at-bat,” Thomson said.

With the Phillies down to their final out in the 10th, Bryce Harper cut into the Texas lead with a broken-bat single that scored the Phillies’ automatic runner, but Alec Bohm popped out to shortstop to end the game.

Texas lefty Jacob Latz stepped in for scheduled starter Jacob DeGrom, who was scratched a few hours before game time with a stiff neck. He held the Phillies without a hit for the first four innings. J.T. Realmuto finally delivered a single off reliever Cole Winn in the fifth, but that was the Phillies’ only hit until the ninth.

“They pitched really well,” Thomson said. “Latz threw well. He attacked, threw strikes. Their entire pitching staff attacked; a lot of first-pitch strikes. They did a nice job keeping us off-balance, but I liked the way we fought at the end.”

The Phillies found themselves down early after Corey Seager ambushed Nola in the first inning with a solo home run on the first pitch he saw. The Rangers tacked on to their lead in the third when Nola hung a curveball to first baseman Jake Burger, who hit a two-run shot to the left field foul pole.

The damage could have been even worse. Nola wriggled out of a jam in the second inning after walking the first two batters. He induced a force out at third followed by a lineout, and then struck out Danny Jansen looking to leave both runners.

“Felt pretty good, body and arm felt good,” Nola said. “I think the command in the second inning got out of whack there, but felt like it came back pretty well. I threw a lot of pitches. They worked the counts pretty good. Obviously, those two pitches that those guys hit for homers were tough.”

In the third inning, Justin Crawford made a jumping catch at the center field wall to rob Langford of extra bases.

Nola allowed five hits, two walks, and struck out seven over five innings. The Phillies used three lefty relievers, Tanner Banks, José Alvarado, and Tim Mayza.

The entire ninth-inning rally came with two outs. Bohm started things off with a line drive single for the Phillies’ second hit of the game. Edmundo Sosa, pinch-hitting for Stott, then won an eight-pitch battle by drawing a walk to bring up García.

García popped up the first pitch he saw, but was given another life when Burger dropped the ball in foul territory. He responded by punching a double to left field.

“It’s a crazy, crazy game,” Marsh said. “The wind was howling today, so I know that wasn’t an easy play for him. So thankfully, it fell, and got Garcia’s first knock and kept the boys rolling.”

Marsh fell behind in the count 1-2, but then connected with a splitter for a game-tying, two-RBI single to force extras.

Garrett Stubbs is remaining in the Phillies organization.

The team announced Saturday that the catcher has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to triple-A Lehigh Valley. Stubbs had been designated for assignment on Wednesday.

The Phillies had searched for a trade partner for Stubbs, who also saw time in the outfield and at third base this spring, to potentially find a major league opportunity for him last week. Stubbs, 32, could have elected free agency after clearing waivers, but he accepted the minor league assignment and the Phillies retain some crucial catching depth at triple A.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said this week that on a personal level, he had hoped Stubbs would find a major league job, but from a Phillies perspective he hoped he would stay in the organization.

“He’s meant so much to this place, the energy that he brings, the type of teammate that he is, and he’s a good player, too,” Thomson said. “Unfortunately, when he was here, he was behind the best catcher in baseball, so he didn’t get a whole lot of playing time, but I think he showed us enough in spring training that he’s a potential super utility guy.”

Stubbs spent most of last season with the IronPigs, where he hit .265 with a .754 OPS in 71 games. He has a career .215 batting average and .603 OPS in 197 games with the Phillies and Houston Astros.

The Phillies opted to keep Rafael Marchán, a 27-year-old switch-hitter, as J.T. Realmuto’s backup for the second consecutive season. During spring training, the Phillies considered keeping Stubbs on the roster as the 26th man, which was why he took reps at other defensive positions than catcher. That spot ultimately went to former Gold Glove utility player Dylan Moore.

Thomson said that the conversation he had with Stubbs informing him that he had not made the team was one of the toughest of his career.

deGrom scratched

Several hours before first pitch on Saturday at a chilly Citizens Bank Park, Texas Rangers starting right-handed pitcher Jacob deGrom was scratched from the game with neck stiffness. Lefty Jacob Latz started in his place.

Thomson opted not to change his batting order after the pitching change, with Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh both remaining in the lineup against the left-hander rather than drawing out for their right-handed platoon partners Edmundo Sosa and Otto Kemp.

The Phillies are expecting to face a string of left-handed starters this homestand, and Thomson said he did not want Stott or Marsh sitting on the bench for too many days in a row, especially following Friday’s off day.

Extra bases

Zack Wheeler (thoracic outlet decompression surgery) and Orion Kerkering (hamstring strain) both began rehab assignments on Saturday in Lehigh Valley. Wheeler is scheduled to start again Friday in Durham in triple A, and will make another start after that for double-A Reading. Kerkering is next scheduled to pitch a back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday in triple A. … Jesús Luzardo is scheduled to start Sunday (1:35 p.m., NBCSP) against Rangers lefty MacKenzie Gore. The Phillies announced Saturday that The Jesús Luzardo Family Foundation has pledged to donate $150 to the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Philadelphia for every strikeout he records this year.

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Felix Reyes always tries to maintain a positive outlook.

The 24-year-old Phillies prospect’s Instagram handle is the_positive26. It was partially inspired by a character in one of his favorite shows, the Colombian crime drama Surviving Escobar: Alias JJ, who would always say “el positivo.”

Reyes decided to adopt it as a mantra.

“I embraced it,” the Dominican said through a team interpreter. “So I just remain optimistic from that point onward. Watching that, I just tried to change my attitude, and I’ve just embraced that. And from that moment, always, everything I do, everywhere I go and everything I work in, I just go with that optimistic mindset. Just say that it will be done, and I will be ready for it, and we’ll get the results.”

Over the last year, Reyes has seen plenty of results, and he believes his mindset is a main reason. After posting a .243 batting average and .656 OPS at high-A Jersey Shore in 2024, he had a breakout minor league season in 2025. He won the Eastern League batting title at double-A Reading with a .335 average, and was also first in OPS (.937).

Reyes had a six-game taste of triple A at the end of the season following a late promotion. In 101 games combined in 2025, he hit 16 homers.

“I worked really hard over the offseason to get ready for last year,” Reyes said. “So I was just ready to go, and I was ready for whatever they needed from me. … But last year is in the past already. This is a new year. This is a new season. So I’m just focused on this year, and we’re just focusing on getting the same results. Trying to enjoy the experience.”

Reyes, at 6-foot-3, has a ton of raw power. He was extended a nonroster invite to major league spring training, and has continued to mash. He has hit .333 with three homers in 17 games. He was reassigned to minor league camp on Wednesday.

“He can crush the ball,” said Bryan De La Cruz, who was Reyes’ teammate in the Dominican Winter League on the Toros del Este.

Said manager Rob Thomson: “Every time he swings the bat, it’s on the barrel.”

In his first big league camp, Reyes is taking the opportunity to learn as much as he can from the major leaguers around him.

“Every moment that I’ve been in this camp is around big leaguers, and that’s where I want to be,” Reyes said. “That’s where you want to be as a player. So I just think it’s trying to share time with them, spend time with them, learn about them, learn about the experience that they bring. Embrace the good advice that they give us.”

There remains a question mark about Reyes’ defense. Last season, he split his time between first base, third base, and corner outfield positions for Reading and Lehigh Valley. He has primarily played first base during spring training, but he also made two appearances in left.

Thomson believes his defense is improving.

“He’s a lot more athletic and he’s faster than people give him credit for, and he handles himself very well in left field,” Thomson said. “His first base play has improved greatly. He’s really under control, and he never gets sped up, it seems to me. So he’s a pretty impressive kid.”

But Reyes’ right-handed power is ultimately his most valuable asset for the Phillies.

During Monday’s game against Detroit, Reyes went 3-for-4, including a three-run home run off Tigers starter Jack Flaherty that was 107.1 mph off the bat. He later crushed a single off Flaherty even harder, clocking a 110.7 mph exit velocity.

Seeing results off an established major league pitcher like Flaherty have helped build Reyes’ confidence, he said. That was something he had discussed with De La Cruz at the game.

“We were talking about confidence, and what can come from being confident in yourself when you’re out there playing,” De La Cruz said. “And how good that can be.”