Acquired in the Ken Giles trade last offseason Mark Appel was a major mystery coming into the Phillies organization.
Once the first-overall pick and a consensus top-30 prospect Appel struggled with injuries with the Astros. Not much changed when he reached the Phillies organization, as he made only eight starts in Lehigh Valley before being shut down with an arm injury.
Through two innings against the Yankees in spring training Appel managed three strikeouts and had some filthy pitches. A wild pitch in his first inning of work resulted in two runs being scored by the Yankees, and a hanging breaking ball gave New York a long double.