First-round pick Gage Wood officially signs with Phillies and is ‘ready to get going’

After Gage Wood threw the third no-hitter in Men’s College World Series history last month, he didn’t have much to say.

Sure, the right-hander helped Arkansas stave off elimination in Omaha, Neb., and he had done it in a historic fashion with a 19-strikeout performance. But he wasn’t satisfied with that.

Wood was mainly thinking of the batter he hit in the eighth inning with a mislocated curveball, which was the difference between a no-hitter and a perfect game. In an ESPN interview on the field afterward, Wood kept his thoughts brief. “I shouldn’t have hit the guy,” he said. “That’s it. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

Fast forward a month. Wood was drafted by the Phillies 26th overall in the MLB draft, has visited Philadelphia for the first time ever, and officially signed with the team on Tuesday. But as a competitor, that one hit batter still rankles.

» READ MORE: Signing David Robertson was easy. The Phillies’ next bullpen addition will be more painful.

“I think about it almost every day,” Wood said Tuesday from the dugout in Citizens Bank Park.

He’s turned the page to his professional career now, though. After officially becoming a member of the Phillies organization, Wood took a tour of the clubhouse and spent time shaking hands with members of the team. He said he was most excited to meet Bryce Harper and Zack Wheeler.

“He looks like he’s very strong,” said manager Rob Thomson. “Looks like he’s been in the weight room.”

Wood and some of the Phillies’ other 2025 draft picks have been in the area for a few days. They were in the stands for Kyle Schwarber’s go-ahead grand slam against the Angels last week, and the thunderous celebration that followed made a good impression.

“It’s awesome. The stadium is awesome. The fans are awesome, and the environment is incredible,” Wood said. “The environment after that happened, one of the guys was videoing up there, and I’ve been showing it to all my friends, that this place is going bonkers.”

Wood, a Newport, Ark., native, didn’t have much connection to the Phillies growing up. But he does recall meeting former Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee at a baseball camp in Little Rock as a child.

While he’s been in Philadelphia, Wood has been working out in his hotel room, and played catch with other draft picks on a strip of grass across the street from the Marriott they’re staying in. He will soon head to the Phillies facilities in Clearwater, but he doesn’t know where he will end up after that.

» READ MORE: From ‘Fat Head’ to the Phillies: The story behind first-round pick Gage Wood’s unique childhood nickname

“I don’t make that decision,” Wood said. “I’m going to work as hard as I can to perform the best that I can, but we’ll let the people in the front office make that decision.”

Despite online speculation that Wood could impact the Phillies’ bullpen in the short term, possibly as soon as this season, scouting director Brian Barber has said that the Phillies currently view him as a starter.

He dealt with a shoulder injury earlier this year, which Wood described as a “mild impingement.” It limited him to just 37⅔ innings, though he returned and capped off his season with the no-hitter in June. He hasn’t had a full season of a starter’s workload, after spending his first two years at Arkansas in the bullpen.

With the Phillies, Wood said he’s open to whatever role he’s asked to fill.

“I worked my whole life for this,“ Wood said. ”This is a blessing, and I’m ready to get going.”

The Phillies placed relief pitcher Joe Ross on the 15-day injured list with back spasms, retroactive to Monday. Ross has a 5.28 ERA over 44⅓ innings this season.

In a corresponding move, right-hander Alan Rangel was recalled from triple-A Lehigh Valley. This marks Rangel’s third stint with the Phillies this year. He has a 2.25 ERA in two appearances, including a five-inning save against Atlanta on June 27.

Rangel has a 4.75 ERA in 85⅓ innings in triple A.

Aaron Nola (rib) threw a 42-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday. He will travel with the team to New York and throw two-plus innings of live batting practice on Friday. If that goes well, the next step is a rehab assignment. … David Robertson is scheduled to throw a batting practice session on Wednesday in Lehigh Valley. … The Phillies haven’t determined if Alec Bohm will make the trip. “Just trying to figure out where he’s at as far as treatment, and if we’re able to start doing some functional work, then he’ll go on the road. If not, then he’ll stay here,” Thomson said. … Jesús Luzardo (8-5, 4.29 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday’s series finale against Boston right-hander Lucas Giolito (6-2, 3.59).