Bryson Stott doesn't want to make excuses, but acknowledges elbow affected him in 2024

Managing Editor

Monday, February 17, 2025

Feb 16, 2025; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second base Bryson Stott (5) participates in spring training workouts at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nathan Ray Seebeck

CLEARWATER — Bryson Stott disappointed at the plate in 2024, going from a popular breakout candidate to someone that hit .245 with a .671 OPS, down significantly from the .280 batting average and .747 OPS he finished the 2023 campaign with.

Stott's dip offensively made a lot more sense when president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski revealed to PHLY's Jim Salisbury during the December MLB Winter Meetings that the second baseman had battled through an elbow injury for much of the season.

The 27-year-old didn't want to make excuses Monday, but did acknowledge that when he reflected on his season, he was limited offensively.

"I felt like my defense and baserunning and all that was good, and how I know I could do it," Stott said. "And offensively, just playing through and trying to get healthy. And looking back, it's like I wasn't healthy. I was good enough to play and I'm not going to make excuses for that. I want to play. You never want to sit on the bench or anything. I just kind of sat back [this offseason] and let my arm heal up and be ready to go this year."

Stott says it was a nerve injury that he sustained in the second month of the season.

"I messed up this nerve, some long word for a nerve in there," Stott said. "I did it in the end of May in Miami. I was hitting really well, I was like 'Alright, I'm feeling back to normal after the rough first month.' Kind of got it going and took a weird swing and it kind of made my pinky go numb. And I was like 'It's whatever.' And then I took another one a week or so later and it just kind of lingered the whole time."

For what it's worth, the Phillies were actually in Miami from May 10-12, so it was even earlier in the season than Stott remembered.

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Stott says the injury didn't bother him when he made contact. But he felt it when he would swing and miss, and it worsened as the season went along.

"It was kind of when I was out in front fooled and had that hyper-extension that would make my fingers go numb," Stott said. "I'd have to call time and then it'd feel fine. I think as I just kind of kept going and going it got weaker and weaker and I was trying to compensate with different parts of my body. And it kind of got me into some bad habits."

The question then becomes, particularly given how early in the season the injury took place, did the Phillies think of shutting Stott down for any period of time and trying to let it heal up?

"Kind of. It's a nervy thing. It's sit and rest and hope it calms down," Stott said. "And you just don't know how long that could be. Obviously I was healthy enough to play and go out there and give it my all, and that's what I wanted to do. And we did it. If you're not going to affect the game on the offensive side, you still have two other sides that you could affect the game on. So just tried to grind through it and play good defense and run the bases."

Perhaps more perplexing if the Phillies knew that Stott was going to be limited offensively was that he continued to hit fifth or sixth in Rob Thomson's lineup, as opposed to being moved to the bottom of the order.

In any event, Stott says he didn't do anything with the right elbow for about a month in the offseason, including holding his infant daughter with that arm.

Stott hasn't been given any assurances that the nerve issue won't come back, but didn't feel it at all when he swung and missed in a live batting practice Monday morning.

"I don't think anyone knows," Stott acknowledged. "Like I said, I swung and missed a couple times today in live BP and that's where it happens and I felt good."

If you're looking for an area where the Phillies could improve internally from a year ago, Stott would be an obvious candidate. If you get the version of him who hit .301 in the first half of the 2023 season, he could be an All-Star candidate when you consider he has posted consecutive seasons of 30+ steals and finished with seven defensive runs saved in 2024.

But in 759 regular-season at-bats since the 2023 All-Star Break, Stott has hit .248. If there isn't a major rebound offensively in 2025, he could be at a crossroads with the Phillies, especially with the possibility that Aidan Miller could be in play at shortstop in the not-so-distant future, potentially pushing Trea Turner to another spot.