David Mercado: Everything you need to know

Mercado was activated from the 7-day injured list Saturday. Mercado failed to make an appearance during spring training due to a shoulder injury, but he looked sharp during his rehab assignment in April, posting a 1.23 ERA and 0.68 WHIP over 7.1 innings (five appearances). He looked a little shaky during his first appearance for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday, surrendering two runs on three walks while striking out one over two frames.

The Phillies reassigned Mercado (shoulder) to minor-league camp Thursday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. Mercado made three appearances out of the Philadelphia bullpen in 2025, but a right shoulder injury prevented him from making any Grapefruit League appearances and will end his bid for an Opening Day roster spot. The Phillies haven't shed much light regarding where Mercado stands in his throwing program, making it unclear if he'll be ready for the start of the minor-league season.

The Phillies announced Wednesday that Mercado will be delayed at the start of spring training due to a right shoulder injury, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports. The report doesn't provide many details on the injury, but even a minor concern could be enough to close the door on any chance the right-hander had at securing a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. Mercado has made eight appearances (two starts) for Philadelphia over the last two seasons, allowing 21 earned runs on 23 hits and 14 walks in just 16 innings.