Dave Dombrowski addressed questions circulating about why Bryan De La Cruz won’t be on the Philadelphia Phillies Opening Day roster, making it clear the veteran simply wouldn’t get enough reps in the majors right now.
“We like what he did. We just looked at the 26th spot, right now he wasn’t going to get a lot of playing time. So we thought he would be better off going and keeping playing and being in a spot in case he’s needed…” Dombrowski told Phillies.com.
De La Cruz impressed during spring training, exactly as Dombrowski noted. In 16 games, he posted a .333 batting average with 15 hits, 5 RBIs, one home run, and was struck out just 12 times in 5 at-bats, strong numbers for a five-year MLB veteran.
What’s next for De La Cruz?
De La Cruz will start the season in Triple-A with Lehigh Valley, staying ready while waiting for a call-up to the Phillies or the chance to explore other opportunities. Over the coming weeks, his path will become clearer.
Even in the minors, De La Cruz remains a versatile option. He can cover any outfield position if needed, and his experience playing infield adds extra flexibility for the future if the Phillies need someone there but that’s a special situation.
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He wasn’t the only player sent to Triple-A. Two other Dominican players, INF Liover Peguero and RHP Jonathan Hernández, will also start in the minors after less impressive spring training performances, a .140 batting average and 10.13 ERA, respectively.
