The Phillies kick off to decide their draft order in the fantasy football league. Who gets to choose first then?

The original idea came from Rhys Hoskins. Whoever hit the ball closest to Phillies physical therapist Alex Plum, dressed up in catcher gear in center field, earned the top pick.

Around this time last summer, the Phillies came up with an unusual way to decide their fantasy football draft order. They stuck a flag in center field and took turns hitting off a tee at home plate. Whoever got closest to the flag — or the pin — would get the first pick.

The idea originally came from first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in January. Hoskins’ former teammates have since built on his idea. On Tuesday afternoon, the players filtered out on the field with their golf clubs in hand. Phillies physical therapist Alex Plum jogged to center field, dressed head-to-toe in Garrett Stubbs’ catching gear.

“Plum was our golf pin,” Stubbs said. “He did not volunteer. He was volunteered.”

Added Kyle Schwarber: “I was thinking about blading it off of Plum, but I didn’t.”

Plum crouched down as first base coach Paco Figueroa stood behind (simulating an umpire). Players took turns taking whacks from home plate. This team has a lot of golfers on it, and things got heated at times.

“We talk a lot of [expletive] to each other,” said reliever Jeff Hoffman.

Added Schwarber: “We’re all talking crap. Bryson [Stott] had the closest to the pin last year, and he just shanked it off the wall. So he’s last pick now.”

J.T. Realmuto finished first and made sure everyone knew it. Larry Bowa, who was leaning on the batting cage, yelled out to the catcher as he was walking off the field.

“Did you get the first pick?” Bowa asked.

“What did you expect?” Realmuto shot back.

Realmuto added: “Me first. [Brad] Flanders second.”

Flanders is one of the team’s two bullpen catchers. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham finished third, Schwarber fourth, and Hoffman fifth, which he was pleased about, given that he finished last in 2023.

“I told myself this year that I would do better next year,” Hoffman said.

It’s a way to break up the monotony of the season.

“It’s very competitive,” said Stubbs. “There’s a lot of [expletive] talking. Just typical fantasy football.”

Phillies place José Alvarado on the restricted list; Michael Mercado recalled from triple A

Thomson: Alvarado will return
José Alvarado, who was placed on the restricted list on Monday to tend to a personal matter, has no timeline for his return yet. But manager Rob Thomson did say Alvarado will rejoin the team by the end of the season.

Thomson said he doesn’t feel like losing a left-handed reliever should change much in the bullpen. Many of the Phillies’ relievers have similar splits against righties and lefties.

“[Orion] Kerkering is kind of a lefty, too, because he’s got good splits against lefties,” Thomson said. “So, really, we still have three lefties in the ‘pen in my mind. [Lefty Tanner] Banks is going to have to take down a bigger role.”

Taijuan Walker, who is slated to make his next start on Wednesday, has been working on his fastball command, according to Thomson. When asked how Walker looked in his recent bullpen sessions, Thomson said he’d heard it was one of Walker’s best session lately. “Hopefully that translates,” Thomson said. … Dylan Covey (right shoulder strain) was activated off the 60-day injured list on Tuesday. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to triple-A Lehigh Valley.