The defending back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers ride a seven-game winning streak into Miami Friday night, where they will take on the Marlins in the opener of a three-game series.
The Dodgers as of 11:30 a.m. ET had not announced a starting pitcher for the Marlins game, after ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto recorded his 13th win of the season in a 14-1 drubbing of the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.
Before the Marlins series opener, the Dodgers announced some upbeat personal news on one of their most important relief pitchers.
Friday is Evan Phillips‘ birthday, the team announced. Phillips turns 32 on Friday, and the Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander enters Friday night’s game in Miami riding the best stretch of his comeback season.
The Dodgers marked the day with a graphic on the team’s social media channels Friday morning. “Happy birthday, Evan!” the team posted alongside a photo of Phillips mid-delivery.
Evan Phillips’ Long Road to Los Angeles
Phillips, born Evan John Phillips, was born on Sept. 11, 1994, in Salisbury, Maryland, and built his path to pro ball through Clayton High School in North Carolina before pitching at UNC Wilmington.
The Kansas City Royals took a flier on him in the 33rd round of the 2012 draft, but he didn’t sign. The Atlanta Braves circled back three years later and got him in the 17th round out of UNC Wilmington.
Phillips debuted with Atlanta in July 2018, then drifted through Baltimore and Tampa Bay before the Rays let him go. The Dodgers claimed him off waivers from Tampa Bay on Aug. 16, 2021, a move that remade his career, debuting for Los Angeles three days later.
He turned into one of baseball’s most dominant relievers by 2022, posting a 1.14 ERA with 77 strikeouts across 63 innings. He took over as closer in 2023, converting 24 saves with a 2.05 ERA, then logged 18 saves and a 3.62 ERA in 2024 before a rotator cuff strain in the NLCS cost him a spot on the World Series roster as the Dodgers won it all.
The setback carried into 2025, when Phillips made just seven appearances before a return of the shoulder trouble led to Tommy John surgery that June, ending his season.
Evan Phillips’ Contract and 2026 Comeback
The Dodgers non-tendered Phillips in November 2025 rather than carry him through arbitration during rehab, then brought him back in February on a one-year, $6.5 million contract. He opened 2026 on the 60-day injured list, activated in July, with the deal running through this season and free agency arriving in 2027.
Since his activation on July 6, Phillips has posted a 2-2 record with a 3.48 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across 20 2/3 innings over 25 games, striking out 24 against five walks. Early returns were shaky, with his ERA sitting in the mid-5s in August.
He has since settled in, scoreless over his last seven outings, six innings covered with nine strikeouts and no walks. He logged his first save of the year on September 7 against Cincinnati, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts. He is no longer the full-time closer he was in 2023 and 2024, sharing high-leverage duty with Tanner Scott while Edwin Díaz sits on the 15-day injured list, but he looks like a trusted late-inning option again.
Phillips carries a career mark of 0-1 with a 1.86 ERA in limited work against Miami. At 32, with his surgically repaired arm finally cooperating, he heads into the weekend looking like a Dodgers bullpen piece the club can lean on.
Dodgers Announce Evan Phillips Personal News Before Marlins Series Opener