Spencer Howard #48 of the Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
When healthy, top-ranked Philadelphia Phillies prospect Spencer Howard looked strong this spring training, logging strikeouts across two-thirds of his nine outs recorded.
However, the right-hander was limited to just two appearances and three innings pitched overall due to back spasms. That, coupled with a noticeable velocity decline late in his rookie season, is keeping the Phillies cautious entering the 2021 season.
The Phillies will juggle the present and future with prospect Spencer Howard.
The Phillies optioned Howard to Triple-A Lehigh Valley last week.