Phillies opening day is two weeks away. Who’ll fill their last roster spots?

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Matt Strahm saw the doctor Thursday, and well, he will go at least two more days without throwing.

It isn’t exactly Groundhog Day yet for Strahm, but with only two weeks until opening day, the veteran reliever would be excused for feeling a little restless. He hasn’t pitched since March 5 because of inflammation in his left shoulder caused by pinching in the joint.

The Phillies maintain that the injury isn’t serious, but neither he nor the team is taking any chances, either.

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“It would be cool to be ready for opening day,” Strahm said before the Phillies’ 16-9 victory over the Braves’ B team at BayCare Ballpark. “But I want to be ready for October.”

If Strahm needs more time to ensure the health of his shoulder — he said he’s scheduled to be reexamined by team doctor Steven Cohen on Saturday — the Phillies will have a second vacancy in the bullpen, and a fourth opening overall on the 26-man roster, before the March 27 opener in Washington.

Let’s dive into the spots that are still up for grabs as spring training enters its final stretch.

Barring additional injuries — a caveat every spring — six relievers are locks: righties Jordan Romano, Orion Kerkering, Joe Ross, and José Ruiz and lefties José Alvarado and Tanner Banks.

Strahm, if healthy, would make seven.

For the purpose of this exercise, and because the Phillies tend to be conservative with injuries in spring training, let’s assume that Strahm will be behind. It likely cements a spot for Taijuan Walker. But Walker’s odds were already looking favorable given his renewed velocity and the $36 million left on his contract.

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Walker, a starter throughout his career, isn’t an ideal fit for the bullpen. If he continues to pitch well, he might draw trade interest. But the Phillies would likely still have to pay down most of his salary. They might recoup greater value by stashing him in a long-relief role in case of an injury to a starter.

In that case, Strahm’s absence would open one bullpen seat. Devin Sweet and Michael Mercado are the only relievers left in camp on the 40-man roster. Sweet, acquired from the Tigers in November, has seven games of major-league experience and a quality changeup that might enable him to have success against lefties in addition to righties.

Otherwise, the Phillies could open a 40-man spot for a reliever who isn’t on the roster, such as José Cuas, Nabil Crismatt, Guillo Zuñiga, or lefty Nick Vespi. Crismatt, who had a 3.39 ERA in 95 appearances for the Padres from 2021 to 2022, tossed 1⅔ scoreless innings against the Braves to lower his spring ERA to 2.70.

Pay attention to when Crismatt and the other nonroster pitchers get into games over the next week. If they pitch in the middle innings, before the best hitters have been replaced, it’s a clue that they’re being considered for a roster spot.

Here’s what we know about the Phillies’ four-player bench: Edmundo Sosa and a backup catcher (more on this shortly) will be on it.

That’s about it.

Center fielder Johan Rojas would be a solid bet, if not for a sore right shoulder that has prevented him from playing defense. Manager Rob Thomson remains confident that Rojas will be ready for the season. He threw from 150 feet Thursday and is expected to throw to bases over the weekend.

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If Rojas makes the team, only one bench spot would remain. As a right-handed hitter behind an everyday lineup that leans to the left, Buddy Kennedy might have an advantage over lefty-hitting Kody Clemens. Both are out of minor-league options.

One name to watch: Christian Arroyo. The 29-year-old infielder bats from the right side, has more major-league experience than Kennedy, and is having a nice camp (8-for-23, two homers). He would need to be added to the 40-man roster, but a spot could become available if the Phillies trade Kennedy or Clemens, or lose either to a waiver claim.

The Phillies could try to trade for a righty-hitting outfielder who gets squeezed out of another club’s roster. But as one NL talent evaluator noted Thursday, righty-hitting outfielders are in demand, with several teams, including the Yankees, looking for help.

When spring training began, Thomson said the competition to be J.T. Realmuto’s backup would boil down to performance, not contracts. So, let’s look at the numbers.

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Not quite a dead heat, but almost. As long as it stays that way — and even if it doesn’t — Marchán figures to get the job. Because although Stubbs is the three-year incumbent and popular in the clubhouse for his personality, he can be sent to triple A without being exposed to waivers. Marchán is out of minor-league options and would almost certainly be scooped up. The Mets, to name one team, are looking for help after catcher Francisco Alvarez underwent surgery on his hand.

And depth is precious, especially behind the plate.