Phillips keeping his spring roommates and new routine

Baseball players are creatures of habit, a trait that seems to be part of their DNA. Or maybe it develops over time, creating a chicken or the egg parallel. What comes first?

No matter the order, being shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic has brought a major disruption in their routines - though also kept in its proper perspective given the loss of lives throughout the world. Being unable to complete spring training or start a season is much more of an inconvenience than a catastrophe.

It's also forcing guys to get more creative in how they prepare for a season that might be canceled.

The closure of the Ed Smith Stadium complex led some players to use a local high school field. Others are dependent upon family or pets to assist in workouts. And there's the small matter of housing for the guys who stayed in Sarasota rather than booking a flight or packing up their cars and hitting the road.

Reliever Evan Phillips wanted to remain near the facility because he's recovering from an elbow injury that forced him to be shut down last month, undergo an MRI and receive a second opinion. Cody Carroll and Tanner Scott have maintained their good health, but continue to be more than just bullpen mates.

They're also roommates.

The trio moved into a rental home on Tuesday after their apartment lease expired, a cozy arrangement with Phillips' fiancée, Elizabeth, and Carroll's wife, Amber.

"I don't think either of those guys own a home up north, so they're kind of in a similar situation to me where here might be the best place for them. And hopefully this virus doesn't cause anything too crazy for us down here and we're still able to take care of ourselves and do the social distancing and things like that," Phillips said.

"From what I understand those guys are able to get their throwing in and get their exercises done, but to what extent I'm not sure. I know they've been going frequently to take care of their bodies, take care of their arms."

Here's where the creativity again has to come into play. Where teammates rely on each other and further strengthen a bond that never showed any signs of weakness.

"I think the most difficult thing would be trying to find a place to throw a bullpen," Phillips said. "Also, fortunately, Chance Sisco lives here full-time and he's been able to help out guys. I know Austin Wynns lives in the area, too, so when guys needed to throw 'pens I'm pretty sure they were able to find a place to get it done."

The hand-wringing is lessened but the washing remains a priority. They're going through a lot of soap. And they're able to maintain the prescribed distance while under the same roof.

"It's important that we all work together and set the boundaries and really be accountable for each other, because you can take care of yourself, but you can't always take care of what other people are doing," Phillips said. "But when you're on the same page with those guys, like roommates, you can make it easier, for sure."

Phillips wasn't going to make the trip to Fort Myers for the March 12 exhibition game against the Twins. His sore elbow limited him to only two outings.

Two buses pulled back into the facility after circling it, players headed back inside the baseball operations building and sports were shelved.

The new normal wasn't going to truly feel normal.

"Honestly, it just didn't seem real," Phillips said. "We've never seen anything like this in sports. And still, I'm hopeful that it comes back in a few days, but it's just not realistic.

"You really just have to look at the health and safety of other people, and once you really understand that, you get a more clear view of what that means and that sports really are secondary. There are no sports if there are no healthy people, so this has become the new priority and we'll just take it day-by-day."

Finding ways to transfer workouts outside the clubhouse and practice fields also required some creativity. And quick hands.

"The complex being shut down has been a damper, for sure," Phillips said. "Luckily, I was able to grab some equipment, some cuff weights and different kind of bands and things like that to help keep my body and shoulder in shape during this time. Weirdly enough, I'm still able to do the exact same things I would be doing if I were to go into the stadium every day, so I'm very fortunate that I still have a lot of the tools that I need and access to my training staff. So very fortunate for that."

The extended layoff has allowed Phillips' elbow to heal without him stressing over how far he's fallen behind the other relievers. He isn't cleared to throw, but no one is pitching in actual games and the roster hasn't been set.

"There's been good days and there's been bad, but over the past couple of weeks it's been feeling really, really good and I'm able to do most day-to-day activities," Phillips said. "I'm still very careful with what I'm doing with my arm, but I'm able to reach over my head and lift something down from a cabinet, for instance, or crack my knuckles. Just small things, day-to-day things that you don't even realize that you're doing that were causing me a little bit of stress and pain. All that's clearing up, so I'm very excited to see how it feels when I pick up a ball."

And where it's done.

In a yard that the Maryland native is sharing with Carroll and Scott. At the home of another teammate. At a school or field. In Sarasota or maybe in Baltimore. Whatever the law will allow.

It's new for Phillips, and maybe over time it will begin to feel more normal.