New Mindset Key for Tyler Phillips After Injury

(Reading, PA) – Reading Fightin Phils pitcher Tyler Phillips found himself in an unfamiliar place last week, the bullpen.

Phillips, traditionally a starter, was moved to the bullpen for Reading’s April 27 matchup with the Altoona Curve. The reason why? A rehab start by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, and National League Champion, Ranger Suarez.

The South Jersey Native admitted coming out of the bullpen was not something he was too keen on throughout his career. Pitchers, especially starters are creatures of habit, and Phillips is no different. But he understood he would have to adjust due to circumstance.

“It is the same game,” Phillips said. “Once I cross that line, I am getting on the mound. My job is to get outs and give my team a chance to win. If I let other outside things creep into my head, it is not going to go well.”

Phillips had not thrown out of the bullpen since the 2019 season with the Frisco Roughriders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. The situation that night was oft like last week. Edinson Volquez was making a rehab start, so Phillips had to pitch in relief that night too.

He leaned on his coaching staff and other relievers for advice. Whatever they told him must have work, since Phillips turned in his best outing of 2023 that night.

Over a season-high five innings, Phillips did not allow a run and just two hits. He added five strikeouts.

“It’s a game of adjustments,” Phillips said. “I have a job to do, so I need to be ready to go.”

It is safe to say Phillips did his job exceptionally well that night.

When looking back at his early-season success, its not something physical Phillips points too. All pitchers are constantly working to refine their mechanics, release points and much more. But it is a side of the game that often goes unnoticed that can play a role is perhaps every player’s, especially Phillips’ success. That is the mind set aspect of the game.

To get the best glance at Phillips’ mindset, and how it has allowed him to transform his game, you have to go back to the 2021 season.

Phillips began 2021 in the Rangers organization. He was a 16^th Round pick of Texas in 2015. He seesawed between multiple levels of Single-A before making his Double-A debut in 2019. In July, he was designated for assignment by Texas and was soon claimed by his hometown team, the Philadelphia Phillies.

Even before moving to the Phillies organization, Phillips knew something was not right.

“I think I got hurt in May of 2021,” Phillips said. “I threw about four-to-five outings in Frisco and had a little hiccup in my elbow. They shut me down for a little bit.”

After about two weeks off, Phillips would eventually come back and pitch again for Frisco. He admits he was not the same after that, but as an athlete he did not want to take himself out of any games.

Following the hiatus and early on in his Phillies tenure, Phillips felt really good about how he was pitching.

“I went back to the way I wanted to throw,” Phillips said. “When I was here in 2021, I felt really good and it was the hardest I was ever throwing. Little did I know that’s my UCL stretching out and it was ready to go.”

After a few starts in Reading, Phillips went to Jersey Shore to rehab and that’s when it went.

“That’s when I couldn’t do it anymore,” Phillips said. “I pulled myself out of the game.”

Phillips received an MRI the next day and there it was discovered his UCL was fully torn. He heard the three words no pitcher ever wants to hear: Tommy John Surgery.

After undergoing surgery, Phillips knew he had a long road ahead of him, both physically and mentally. The latter of which certainly came the hardest to the righty.

“I wanted to be back so bad,” Phillips said. “Physically, you have so much time to work on things, so that came easy to me. I’m going to do everything I can to improve physically. The mental side was a killer.”

With so much time away from competitive baseball, Phillips attacked the mental side of the game as hard, if not more, than he did the physical component. It was that down time that allowed Phillips to learn more about who is he was and enjoy some things in life away from baseball.

“I learned how to be a dad,” Phillips said. I think I really needed that time off to just be a dad and get rid of some pressures.”

After a long-rehab journey, Phillips began his road back to game action in Spring Training. He took it easy on himself down in Clearwater, just happy to be back on a mound again facing hitters.

Phillips had fun, even messed around some, and turned in a really good spring. But, as the season inched near, Phillips changed his approach.

“Coming into the season, I started to feel that things counted again and was putting extra pressure on myself to try and make everything happen in one outing,” Phillips said.

Reading Manager Al Pedrique wasted zero time getting Phillips back out there. Pedrique anointed Phillips the Fightin Phils Opening Day starter in Richmond. An honor that meant a lot to Phillips and it was something he admitted that made him emotional.

“It is always a huge honor to lead the charge for your squad,” Phillips said. “I love being that silent leader. My goal is to throw as many innings as I can and put my team in a position to win. My goal is to set the tone for the guy coming after me.”

His start to the season was solid, but Phillips knew it could be better.

“When I took a step back and saw how my season was starting off, it was not exactly how I wanted it to be,” Phillips said. “I was messing around with different personalities. I was trying to be a tough guy, which is not me. In Portland, I had a talk with one of our performance coaches about self-awareness. It was a big thing we talked about this spring.”

He felt in his second start against Hartford, he was more timid and was trying to avoid bats. Which, Phillips admitted, “never goes well.”

Phillips cites a dugout conversation he had with David Parkinson and Mick Abel for a shift in his mindset on the mound. The synopsis of the dialogue was pitchers are always at an advantage. Hitters do not know what pitch is coming and ultimately for batters, baseball is a game of failure.

“I am going to put the cards on my side and go right at guys,” Phillips said. That was a big mindset change I had that contributed to my success.”

As evidenced in his five innings out of the bullpen against Altoona, Phillips is quickly putting his new mindset into action, and experience positive returns. To him, it does not matter if he is starting or relieving, he just wants the baseball and to go right at hitters.

It is never easy for a pitcher to miss a season, especially when it comes with the stresses of coming back from Tommy John Surgery. But it has not taken Phillips long to begin to re-discover who he is on the mound. He adds it is always a work in progress as there will be good days and bad days.

But ultimately, he is just trying to enjoy the game and be the best version of himself.

“The biggest thing I learned was to just have fun,” Phillips said. “I don’t think Bryce Harper or Aaron Nola are out there putting pressure on themselves. They’re just doing what they love and that’s what I tried to get back to.”

Now, Phillips is back on the mound and pitching within his hometown organization. The Lumberton, New Jersey, native is living out a dream and it means the world to him to have friends and family at every start.

Every time he is out there, it will be a renewed mindset and perspective on the game driving Phillips to be the best “Tyler Phillips” he can be.

“The mental side is non-stop in baseball, while the physical side is pretty easy,” Phillips said. “If you want it bad, the physical side isn’t hard, but the mental side you really have to work hard.”

Reading returns home Tuesday, May 9, at 11 a.m. as the Fightin Phils welcome the New Hampshire Fisher Cats to FirstEnergy Stadium. Tickets to all games are still available and can be purchased at rphils.com/tickets, by calling 610-370-BALL or in person at the Customers Bank Ticket Office.

The 2023 R-Phils season is presented by Pepsi. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter @ReadingFightins, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram @Fightins.