CLEARWATER, Fla. — Right-handed pitcher Noah Song has transitioned his service with the Navy from active duty to selective reserves and will report to the Phillies spring training camp on Thursday, the team announced Wednesday.
The 25-year-old song was selected by the Phillies from the Red Sox in the Major League Rule 5 draft in December. Since he attended the US Naval Academy and graduated in 2019, he had to serve in the Navy for five years. Song applied to the Navy for a waiver in 2019 to postpone his active duty until after his unresolved baseball career and applied for another waiver in 2022.
» READ MORE: Rhys Hoskins’ sluggish Phillies contract status brings back memories of Pat Burrell in 2008
Because Song is on the Major League Baseball military roster, he will not be included on the 40-man roster until Opening Day. If he pulls the team out of spring practice, Song will be included in the Phillies’ 26-man roster. If he doesn’t make the team, he’ll be traded or waived. Song can be placed on the injured list, the bereaved list, or the paternity list, but he cannot be elected.
Song was selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB draft. Before attending flight school, he had a 1.06 ERA with 19 strikeouts over seven starts and 17 innings with the Red Sox’s Low-A partner, the Lowell Spinners, in 2019.
» READ MORE: Rob Thomson’s message to Phillies: Block out the ‘noise’ and focus on ‘our own expectations’
During his four-year collegiate career with the Naval Academy, he had a 2.37 ERA in 58 games, with 428 strikeouts in 334⅓ innings. He threw 14 complete games, nine of them shutouts. Athletic and tall (6-foot-4), he throws with a plus slider in the 96-99 mph range. He also throws a fastball, a changeup, and a curveball.
Choosing Song wasn’t without risk. He hasn’t pitched professionally since 2019. The Phillies will get a better sense of where he stands physically on Thursday and over the next few weeks of camp.
Additional bases
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he will likely make a decision in the next few days about whether assist Gregory Soto will play for the Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic. Soto has not yet reported to the camp because of visa problems. “Eventually he has to play a few games before he goes to the WBC or you’re putting him at risk,” Thomson said. He added that in this case, because he didn’t play a game, the team will get some input on his WBC attendance.
The preliminary plan calls for pitcher Andrew Painter to make his first appearance at spring training mid-next week.
Michael Plassmeyer starts Saturday’s split-squad game against the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla. and Nick Nelson starts at home against the Yankees. The Phillies will be looking to get two innings out of Plassmeyer.