Phillies closer Jhoan Duran made his spring training debut on Wednesday in a 5-3 loss to Team Canada at BayCare Ballpark. During the game, Duran threw several split-changeups, including one that resulted in a called third strike to Tyler O’Neill. This pitch is not part of his usual repertoire and has not been used by Duran in at least five years.
When asked about the new pitch, Duran said, “I don’t know if I’ll throw it.” He added, “I can’t tell you. Sorry,” when questioned about how the split-change might help him. When pressed further on whether this was a secret pitch, he replied, “Yes.”
Duran’s fastball averaged 97.7 mph during the outing, which is down from last season’s average of 100.6 mph. His splinker also saw a decrease in velocity compared to last year. Phillies manager Rob Thomson expressed no concerns after Duran pitched one scoreless inning with a strikeout.
Reflecting on his performance and approach to spring training, Duran said: “Maybe in my first year in the Minor Leagues, I was fighting for a job, I came in ready for the season. That’s when I threw 100, 101. … But after that, I come into Spring Training to be healthy and be ready for the season. If the velo is there, good. If it’s not, good. If I feel healthy, great. That’s what I want. I know the velo is coming in the season.”
Duran also addressed his health status following an offseason illness that delayed his preparation for spring training by three weeks. Thomson confirmed that Duran was sick early in camp as well.
“Everything is great right now,” Duran said. “Today is my first outing. I feel fantastic. It’s good.” He continued: “I lost a couple days in my training, and I wanted to take time in my training,” adding that he did not want to rush back and risk injury: “But I’m good. I’m back.”
The Philadelphia Phillies are charter members of Major League Baseball’s National League and have played their home games at Citizens Bank Park since 2004 (official website). The team represents Philadelphia both regionally and nationally through its participation in Major League Baseball and community outreach efforts (official website). The Phillies’ front office includes executives such as the chief executive officer and general manager who oversee club operations (official website). The franchise has won World Series titles twice—in 1980 and again in 2008 (official website).
