Hunting for clues in the Phillies’ bench competition: Outfielders (maybe Jake Cave?) wanted

NORTH PORT, Fla. — As the five-way competition for two Phillies bench spots gets hotter by the day, manager Rob Thomson may have offered a clue Saturday as to how it will all play out.

Outfielders wanted?

Thomson restated that being able to play center field is “probably the main characteristic that we’re looking for.” Brandon Marsh is the only true center fielder on the roster. Thomson said he prefers a right-handed hitter to back up lefty-swinging Marsh, which would seem to bode well for Dalton Guthrie and nonroster utilityman Scott Kingery.

» READ MORE: Phillies takeaways as opening day looms: Case for Scott Kingery, who’s having best camp, and more

But Thomson also noted that left fielder Kyle Schwarber hasn’t played much in the outfield this spring. Schwarber made three starts for the Phillies before leaving for the World Baseball Classic, where he had mostly been the designated hitter for Team USA.

“Schwarber really hasn’t had a lot of reps in the outfield,” Thomson said. “Once he gets back here, we’ve got to ramp him up carefully. You can’t expect him to be able to play in the outfield every day.”

In that case, Jake Cave may be well-positioned for the other bench spot. Cave, an offseason waiver claim, has experience at all three outfield positions, unlike fellow left-handed hitters Darick Hall and Kody Clemens.

Cave, 30, slugged .466 for the Twins in 2018-19 but struggled with injuries in the last few years. Even after striking out twice Saturday night against the Braves, he’s 15-for-35 (.429) with three doubles, two triples, two homers, three walks, and 12 strikeouts this spring.

But Cave is hardly alone in making a good impression. Each of the bench candidates is having a strong camp, leaving Thomson to joke this week that the Phillies are petitioning MLB for a 30-man roster. Cave, Clemens, Hall, and Kingery were in the lineup against Braves lefty starter Dylan Dodd.

All five players can be sent to triple A without being exposed to waivers. With less than two weeks until camp breaks, the final decisions may come down to the wire.

» READ MORE: Why Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, and Brandon Marsh are keys to the Phillies’ making a big jump in 2023

“It’s a great problem,” Thomson said. “You want everybody at the end of the camp to, one, be healthy, and two, be playing at their best level. Right now, they’re doing it.”

With injuries chipping away at the pitching depth and after split-squad games Friday, the Phillies brought top prospect Mick Abel back from minor-league camp for a cameo start in a road night game.

And the 21-year-old right-hander sparkled.

Facing many of the Braves’ regulars — Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Travis d’Arnaud, Michael Harris II, and Vaughn Grissom — Abel retired six of seven batters in two scoreless innings. Olson was the lone batter to reach base, via a first-inning walk.

“It definitely felt like a test when I first saw [Atlanta’s lineup],” Abel said. “I was like, ‘Oh, that’s awesome.’ It’s pretty cool to go up against those guys, and hopefully I can in the future a lot, too.”

Here’s the kicker: Abel got by against the Braves’ big bats despite throwing only fastballs and sliders. The latter stands as his best offspeed pitch.

“This kind of proves [the slider] can play at any level,” Abel said.

» READ MORE: Don’t forget about Mick Abel, the other half of the Phillies’ best pitching prospect duo in 20 years

Abel is refining his emerging changeup, learning a new grip and altering his arm speed. He candidly said he didn’t need a third pitch to dominate hitters in high school and even the low minors.

But the results against the Braves notwithstanding, he knows he’ll need it more to get out advanced hitters a second and third time through the lineup.

“I was pretty fastball-slider heavy in high school, but that was three years ago now,” Abel said. “Things have changed a lot. If I’m going to go up against these types of hitters every day, I need to have third and fourth options that I can put in for strikes.”

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Alec Bohm got his first spring-training action at first base. He may see time there whenever the Phillies decide to use Rhys Hoskins as the DH. ... Marsh led off the game with a home run, then got robbed of extra bases in the third inning by Harris in center field. ... Hard-throwing right-hander Yunior Marte, a candidate for the final spot in the bullpen, retired Riley and d’Arnaud for the final two outs of the fifth inning. ... Ranger Suárez remains on track for a bullpen session Sunday. The lefty hasn’t thrown from a mound since he felt tenderness in his forearm during a pre-World Baseball Classic exhibition for Venezuela 10 days ago. ... Right-handed reliever Luis Ortiz will start against the Red Sox at 1:05 p.m. Sunday in Clearwater, Fla. Ortiz, an offseason waiver claim, figures to provide depth at triple A.