Dodgers News: Phillips updates fans on his post-Tommy John timeline
"Watching our guys compete and knowing that I can’t be a part of it for a while. That’s hard.”
LOS ANGELES — Dodgers closer Evan Phillips is beginning a long and difficult road to recovery following Tommy John surgery, but if there’s any discouragement in his demeanor, he’s not showing it. Sporting a heavy cast on his right arm in the clubhouse after Friday night’s game against the Giants, Phillips spoke with a calm resolve and a surprising amount of optimism.
“I think this cast comes off on Monday,” Phillips said, “and then I’ll go into that robot brace-looking thing and really start the flexion-extension and getting my range of motion back. From that point on, it’s a slow process, but I’m excited about it.”
The injury, announced earlier this month, was a major blow to the Dodgers’ bullpen. Phillips had emerged as one of the most dependable relievers in baseball over the last few seasons, anchoring the late innings with quiet dominance. In his time in Dodger blue, he has posted stellar numbers: a 2.22 ERA with 78 saves spread across five seasons. His absence will be felt well into 2026, but Phillips is trying to stay focused on the small steps that mark progress.
“Hopefully, you know, there’s plenty of distractions along the way to help make the time go by faster,” he said.
When asked about the emotional toll of being away from competition, Phillips acknowledged that the hardest part hasn’t fully hit him yet. Still, watching from the sidelines has already been challenging.
“I haven’t really felt it yet,” he admitted. “I’m sure it’s going to come. So far, it’s only come when I’m watching our guys compete and knowing that I can’t be a part of it for a while. That’s hard.”
Rather than dwell on his absence, Phillips is redirecting his energy toward supporting his teammates, especially the bullpen group he usually leads.
“I’m trying to channel that energy into my teammates,” he said. “Specifically our guys in the bullpen—to rally together and just be a resource and a support system for them, and do the best I can at that while I chip away at my progress.”
Tommy John surgery is unfortunately familiar territory in Major League Baseball, and Phillips has leaned on the experience of others who’ve come through it.
“Plenty of guys,” he said when asked if he’d talked to others who’ve undergone the same procedure. “You look around each corner, you feel like you can pick a guy that’s been through it. Definitely getting some tips and tricks here and there.”
Though he knows the recovery is measured in months, Phillips said he’s been surprised by how manageable the early stages have been.
“Generally speaking, I’m surprised at how not-that-bad it is so far,” he said. “I do keep waking up each day thinking I’m just going to be able to magically extend my arm again, but I know it’s just going to be some time. That’s where there’s some learning to do.”
The next major step comes this week, when the cast comes off and he transitions into the range-of-motion brace that will begin his rehabilitation in earnest.
“It’s going to take weeks, months,” Phillips said. “By the time I get back—sometime next summer—I know there’s a lot of things ahead of me, a lot of obstacles. But hopefully a lot of milestones that make the process go by a bit quicker.”
For now, Phillips remains a fixture in the Dodgers’ clubhouse—not on the mound, but as a source of steadiness and support for a bullpen that continues to evolve without him. And though he may be months away from throwing another pitch, he’s already setting the tone for the road ahead: steady, optimistic, and always thinking about the team.
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