The Philadelphia Phillies are currently looking to bolster their outfield depth, as they have been navigating a series of injury setbacks in recent weeks.
Their starting right fielder, Adolis García, was lost for the season after suffering a lat injury that necessitated surgery. Meanwhile, Johan Rojas, who had been working his way back from an 80-game suspension, encountered an elbow issue that required an internal brace procedure.
In response, the Phillies have brought in Derek Hill via trade with the Chicago White Sox and have also given Gabriel Rincones Jr. some run in right field. That said, not everyone in the organization will be getting a look at the big-league level Dylan Carlson is one player who won’t be factoring into their major-league plans.
According to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer on X, the Phillies have opted to release Carlson from their Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley.
The decision isn’t exactly a shock, considering how little offensive production he had been delivering. Over 40 games with the IronPigs, spanning 153 plate appearances, Carlson turned in a slash line of .181/.307/.307, with four homers, four doubles, and 18 RBIs.
His struggles at the plate have been consistent no matter where he’s played in 2026. In 10 games with Triple-A Iowa earlier in the year, he managed just seven hits in 44 trips to the plate. He also had a brief stint with the Chicago Cubs, going hitless in four at-bats while striking out twice.
If Carlson doesn’t catch on elsewhere and earn another opportunity in the majors, he’ll be looking at a third straight campaign with a negative bWAR. Back in 2024, split between the Cardinals and Rays, he posted a -1.2 bWAR.
Last year, while with the Orioles, he finished with a -0.7 bWAR and a .203/.278/.336 line, adding six homers and nine doubles.
It’s been a disappointing turn for a player who, in 2021, looked like a potential cornerstone for St. Louis. That season, he delivered a 3.2 bWAR and a 115 OPS+—the only year of his career in which he’s finished above the league-average mark of 100.
At just 27 years old, Carlson is still young enough that another organization could very well take a flier on him in the near future. Since he hasn’t yet reached his prime years, there may be a club out there that believes it can unlock the kind of performance he flashed earlier in his career.
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