Phillies news: Jhoan Durán's new pitch, Aidan Miller injury scare

The Philadelphia Phillies are 0-2 thus far in Spring Training, but these next few weeks are all about process — not result. The process was solid Sunday afternoon, at least when the "real" players were on the field. Trevor Richards, Zach Pop, Kyle Backhus and Tim Mayza opened the game against Pittsburgh with four straight no-hit innings. Kyle Schwarber cranked his first home run of 2026. Good things are happening.

That's not to say the vibes around the Phillies are perfect right now. There's a lot of unnecessary noise around Bryce Harper. Dave Dombrowski has done a poor job justifying his quiet offseason. Often times, we get a healthy mix of good and bad with this team. Let's dive into the latest headlines.

Strong early reviews for Painter, Sánchez, Luzardo

Bryce Harper said Sunday that Philadelphia has the best rotation in baseball. Based on the early reviews out of camp, it's hard to disagree. We know Zack Wheeler is still recovering from last season's shoulder surgery, but he's on the fast track to pitch sooner than later. Meanwhile, there is no shortage of praise for Andrew Painter, Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo, all of whom need to step up while Wheeler licks his wounds.

Painter is arguably the greatest swing factor this season when it comes to projecting the Phillies' competitive ceiling. If he lives up to his potential, then yes — Philadelphia does have the best staff in baseball. If he struggles like he did in Triple-A last year, though, cracks begin to show in the foundation.

Rob Thomson, for his part, expects big things.

"Command, it's back. I mean, so far. It's just bullpens," Thomson said (h/t That Ball's Outta Here). "I don't want to get ahead of myself, he hasn't faced hitters yet and obviously hasn't pitched in a game, but the command, look's like he's got it."

JT Realmuto is also over the moon with excitement for the tall righty:

This is a lot of buzz for a 22-year-old who just pitched to a 5.40 ERA in 22 Triple-A starts in 2025. But Painter is now another year removed from elbow surgery. The stuff never really suffered, just his ability to place pitches with consistency. If Philadelphia's No. 1 prospect is back on track, he could be exactly what this rotation needs.

And Painter isn't the only Phillies pitcher receiving positive reviews.

"Cristopher Sánchez might not have missed a single spot during a bullpen session Friday morning," writes Matt Gelb of The Athletic.

Thomson knows what he has in Sánchez at this point: "I just want to box him up and send him north, you know? He’s been great. Phenomenal."

Luzardo, meanwhile, has been burying his teammates in live BP.

"He was really, really good,” said Brandon Marsh. “You couldn’t see any of his spins, which is hard for a hitter. His fastball was electric, it exploded. He gave me a really good sequence and you just tip your cap to him ... Short and sweet, you don’t hit him when he’s on. When he hits his spot and puts it where he wants to, he’s as good as they come. That was really, really exciting to see that out of him today."

Bryce Harper casually reveals Aidan Miller injury

Bryce Harper was interviewed from the dugout in the fifth inning of Sunday's loss to Pittsburgh. When asked about Aidan Miller, the Phillies' top-ranked positional prospect, Harper dropped a line that sent fans into a frenzy of anxiety:

"If Miller can get off his butt and into the game," Harper joked (h/t Heavy). "I’m just kidding, Aidan, I’m just kidding, buddy ... Need him to get healthy, because he can help us by the end, obviously."

It was soon revealed that Miller, who has not appeared in Philadelphia's first couple of spring games, is dealing with lower back soreness. The Phillies are rightfully taking the patient approach, though no one seems too worried just yet. Per Phillies beat reporter Todd Zolecki, "he would've played [Saturday]" if he was healthy.

While this is not a serious injury, nor cause for long-term concern, it does hamper Miller's ability to compete for a job in Spring Training, which is kind of the whole point. Miller has drawn considerable praise from teammates, coaches and even franchise legends, but he's still fighting an uphill battle when it comes to cracking the Opening Day roster.

There is a strong argument in favor of Miller supplanting Alec Bohm at third base, but the Phillies just do not promote their prospects that aggressively except in rare circumstances. Miller only has a few games of Triple-A experience under his belt at 21, and Bohm is under contract through the end of the season. The Phillies will almost certainly wait for 2027 to elevate Miller into an everyday role with the Major League squad, if all goes to plan.

Jhoan Durán is could add to his arsenal

Jhoan Durán arrived in Philadelphia at the 2025 trade deadline and became an immediate fan favorite. From the bombastic light show before every save opportunity, to his immaculate production on the mound (2.18 ERA and 11.8 K/9 in 20.2 innings with Philly), Durán was every bit the show-stopping, shutdown closer Phillies fans have dreamed of for so long.

It could look even better in 2026. Durán is teasing an update to his arsenal: The 28-year-old dramatically reduced the frequency of his offspeed pitches with Philadelphia last season, but he could mix it up with a new (but also old) offering at some point in the year ahead.

"Maybe I put a new pitch in my arsenal,” Duran told The Athletic. “Maybe during the season, or maybe after the All-Star Game, I’ll bring in a new pitch."

When asked if this was a "secret," Durán denied it.

"It’s not a secret. I threw it in the Minor Leagues when I was a starting pitcher. Every pitch I have is faster, you know? So I want something to take a little bit of velo off."

Time will tell if this is good or even remotely necessary. Durán can touch 100 with his splitter and his four-seamer, both plus-plus pitches. He also has a curve and a sweeper, which he threw a combined 25 percent of the time last season. Both sit in the mid-80s. The word on the street is that it could be a changeup, which Durán used with mixed results in the Minors.

It's fun to think of arguably the best closer in the National League adding a fifth pitch on a whim, though. Durán keeps on getting nastier with each passing season.