Pirates A to Z: Phillip Evans made positive first impression before season-ending injury

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z, an alphabetical player-by-player look at the 40-man roster, from outfielder Anthony Alford to pitcher Trevor Williams. (The only MLB player with a surname that starts with Z is Detroit Tigers pitcher Jordan Zimmerman).

Phillip Evans

Position: Third base/first base/outfield

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Age: 28

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 210 pounds

2020 MLB statistics: Batted .359/.444/.487 with two doubles, one home run and nine RBIs in 11 games.

Contract: Not eligible for arbitration until 2023.

Acquired: Signed to a minor-league deal as a non-roster invitee to spring training.

This past season: Pirates manager Derek Shelton raised eyebrows when he casually counted Evans as a designated hitter candidate during a radio interview entering summer camp.

Evans had played in 34 career major-league games with the New York Mets but was hardly a lock to make the team, despite shining in spring training. He batted .333/.405/.636 with four doubles, two home runs — including a grand slam against Toronto — and nine RBIs in 18 spring training games, flashing power at the plate and versatility in the field.

PHILLIP EVANS GRAND SLAM ?

19-10, us | #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/Nnpf8HinxQ

— Pirates (@Pirates) March 6, 2020

Not only did Evans make the major-league club but he led the Pirates in most offensive categories through their first 11 games. He had four multi-hit games, including a trio of three-hit games, and six games with an RBI.

“Just trying to do whatever I can to help the team win every night I see my name in that lineup,” Evans said, “and just having fun with the guys out there.”

Evans had his best game against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 7, when he went 3 for 5 with his first MLB homer — a 411-foot, three-run shot into the visiting bullpen — and four RBIs in a 17-13 loss in 11 innings.

Phillip Evans - Pittsburgh Pirates (1) pic.twitter.com/38nbxJYa1W

— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) August 8, 2020

The next night, however, Evans’ season ended.

In one of the low points of a season that saw the Pirates finish with the worst record in baseball, Evans suffered a concussion and broken jaw when he was playing first base and chased a fly ball into foul territory in shallow right field. Evans collided with Gregory Polanco, absorbing a forearm to the face that knocked him unconscious.

Pirates players immediately waved for help, and Evans was carted off the field on a stretcher. The fracture required surgery to wire his jaw shut, and Evans was placed on the 60-day injured list.

Scary collision during Pirates, Tigers game. Phillip Evans and Gregory Polanco collide going after a foul ball. pic.twitter.com/CYMR6zHJo0

— The High And Inside Podcast (@High_and_Inside) August 8, 2020

“It’s extremely scary,” Shelton said. “When you see the impact of that magnitude, that hard, both guys going full speed. Right near the fence. It’s a scary situation.”

The future: It was a short sample — only a quarter of the shortened 60-game season — but Evans proved he could be impactful for the Pirates as a utility player.

He started eight games at third base and once each at first, left field and right field and also can play second base. The Pirates love that kind of versatility, especially from someone who hit for average and power through the first 15 games of the season.

Third base, however, now belongs to Ke’Bryan Hayes. What could work in Evans’ favor is that he isn’t arbitration eligible until 2023, whereas Jose Osuna could be a candidate to be non-tendered as he enters his first year of arbitration.

More than anything, Evans made a positive impression on Shelton in spring training and his stint in the Pirates’ lineup, and that could bode well for his short-term future with the club.

Check out the entire Pirates A to Z series here.