Phillies opening day 2023: Start time, how to watch and stream

It’s opening day for the Phillies, who are beginning their much-anticipated 2023 season on the road against the Texas Rangers without their MVP slugger, Bryce Harper

The Phillies did not place Harper on the 60-day injured list, hoping the seven-time All-Star can return to the team as a designated hitter before the end of May as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. He was initially expected to be back in mid-July near the All-Star break, but Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes reported Harper has responded well to rehab and could return by June.

For now, the Phillies will have to lean on the power provided by the bats of Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos, who will share the DH role until Harper returns. They also have a true leadoff hitter in shortstop Trea Turner, who looked impressive in spring training and during the World Baseball Classic, hitting a combined .435 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs.

“It’s been incredible. It seems like he never makes an out,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said this week. “Just keep him right there. Box him up. And send him to Texas.”

Expectations are certainly higher for the team this season, thanks to their surprising World Series run last year. All five of the Inquirer’s baseball insiders predict the team will win at least 90 games and make it to the playoffs, though they also think the Phillies will finish behind the Atlanta Braves in the division.

The season begins Thursday in the first of 162 games. Aaron Nola will make his sixth-straight opening day start for the Phillies, and it could be his last if he and the team don’t agree on a new contract. Earlier this week, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said any talk of a contract extension would have to wait until the season is over.

Facing Nola will be a familiar face to Phillies fans — former New York Mets ace and two-time NL Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, who signed a five-year, $185 million deal with the Rangers in the offseason. DeGrom is 9-1 with a 2.18 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 20 career starts against the Phillies.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the Phillies’ opening day matchup against the Texas Rangers:

The Phillies’ season debut is scheduled to get underway at 4:05 p.m. Eastern, and will air live on NBC10.

Calling the game will be Tom McCarthy, the voice of the Phillies on NBC Sports Philadelphia, who is entering his 14th season doing play-by-play. Joining him in the booth will be former first baseman John Kruk, in his sixth season calling Phillies games after 12 years at ESPN.

As an added wrinkle for opening day, Phillies first base coach Paco Figueroa will be mic’d up during Thursday’s broadcast.

The game will also air on 94.1 WIP, with Scott Franzke and Kevin Stocker on the call. Gregg Murphy returns to handle pre- and postgame radio coverage.

» READ MORE: Rubén Amaro Jr. is back calling Phillies games on NBC Sports Philadelphia, which is also adding a new face

The game will be available on the MyTeams app and on the NBC Sports Philadelphia website, but you’ll need a cable subscription.

NBC10 is also available to stream for free with a digital antenna for viewers across the Delaware Valley. It’s also available on a host of so-called skinny bundles, including Hulu With Live TV, DirecTV Stream, Sling TV, fubo, and YouTube TV.

The game will also be available to stream on ESPN+ to subscribers.

During spring training, MLB implemented a pitch clock — 15 seconds with the bases empty, and 20 seconds with runners on — that worked wonders speeding up the pace of the game.

The average length of a spring training game last year was 3 hours, 1 minute. This spring, with the pitch clock in pace, that dropped to 2 hours, 35 minutes league-wide. Phillies spring training games were slightly longer, averaging 2 hours, 46 minutes, according to MLB.com data.

“We’re going to have a game in the first two weeks that goes less than two hours,” California Angels pitcher Tucker Davidson told ESPN.

There are two other rule changes this season — larger bases (an attempt to encourage stolen base attempts) and a ban on the infield shift (which prevents teams from stacking the infield with defenders).

» READ MORE: Trea Turner’s first spring with the Phillies makes him look underpaid, even at $300 million

As with every Phillies game, Inquirer staff writers Scott Lauber and Alex Coffey will be covering all the action live on Gameday Central. You can find coverage at Inquirer.com/Phillies and in our Sports Daily newsletter.

Prior to the game, NBC10 will air a Welcome Home Phillies special at 2 p.m., featuring Keith Jones, Jacqueline London, John Clark, Michelle Rotella, Tim Furlong, and Frances Wang.

Telemundo62 will air La Fiebre Roja from 11:30 a.m. to noon, hosted by sports anchor Jaime Becerril.

Phillies Pregame Live — hosted by Michael Barkann and featuring Rubén Amaro Jr., Ricky Bottalico, and Ben Davis — will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia at 2:30 p.m. Following the game, the crew will return for Phillies Postgame Live.

Overall, Philadelphia is 66-72-2 on opening day, dating back to the then-Philadelphia Quakers’ 4-3 loss to the Providence Grays in 1883. Yes, there were two ties — both 1923′s opening game against the Brooklyn Dodgers and 1924′s against the Boston Braves were called due to darkness, because ballparks at the time didn’t have lights.

The Phillies have never played the Rangers on opening day, and it’s just the fourth time Philadelphia has faced an American League team to start the season since interleague play was introduced in 1997.

Philadelphia won on opening day last season on the road against the Oakland A’s and marched all the way to the World Series, but it might not be wise to put too much stock in one game. After all, the Phillies lost on opening day in 1993, 2008, and 2009 — and went on to win the National League pennant in all three years, including a World Series win in 2008.

The Phillies start the season with six straight road games against the Rangers and New York Yankees before their home opener against the Cincinnati Reds on April 6.

Nearly every game in April will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia or NBC Sports Philadelphia+, though the next two games against the Rangers will air on Fox and ESPN. There will also be two games in April that stream exclusively on Peacock and Apple TV+.