This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat newsletter, written this week by Paul Casella. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- If all goes according to plan for the Phillies over the next three weeks, the only roster decisions that manager Rob Thomson and Co. will need to make at the end of Spring Training involve one reserve role and a couple of bullpen spots.

The club still wants Johan Rojas to earn the everyday job in center field, but assuming he does, that leaves one opening at the end of the bench that likely comes down to Cristian Pache or Jake Cave -- though others certainly remain in the mix.

So, for now, let’s zero in on those two bullpen jobs, which are a bit more up for grabs -- especially after Spencer Turnbull's performance in his Phillies debut on Friday afternoon. The 31-year-old right-hander made quick work of the Marlins, tossing two perfect innings while striking out four of the six batters he faced.

• Projecting the Phillies' Opening Day roster

Turnbull’s sinker maxed out at 95.4 mph -- a velocity he reached only twice all of last season. He pounded the zone, throwing 19 of his 28 pitches for strikes. He forced a number of awkward hacks, getting seven whiffs on 14 swings, including five with his slider.

“He was fantastic,” Thomson said. “Good velocity, slider was good, downhill sink, threw strikes. He was great.”

Turnbull has always had the stuff and the potential -- just look at the no-hitter he threw on May 18, 2021, with the Tigers -- but for one reason or another, it’s never all come together.

He went 3-17 with a 4.61 ERA over 30 starts as a rookie in 2019. Turnbull pitched better in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, then got off to a solid start in 2021, when he had a 2.88 ERA over nine starts before being sidelined with a right forearm injury. It was later determined he needed Tommy John surgery, which ended his 2021 campaign and sidelined him for the entire 2022 season.

Turnbull returned in 2023, but struggled in seven starts for the Tigers (7.26 ERA). Now, he’s looking for his next opportunity after signing a one-year deal with the Phillies last month.

That chance could come in the form of cracking the Opening Day roster as the long man out of the bullpen. The current frontrunners for the final two bullpen spots figure to be Connor Brogdon and Dylan Covey -- with the latter serving in the multi-inning role -- as both are out of Minor League options.

Covey, however, struggled to find the zone on Friday. Shortly after Turnbull’s sterling outing, Covey walked the first batter he faced, plunked the second and walked the third. In the midst of that, he was checked on by Thomson and the training staff, though Covey insisted he was fine physically.

Of the five bullpen locks -- José Alvarado, Seranthony Domínguez, Jeff Hoffman, Gregory Soto and Matt Strahm -- and one near-lock (Orion Kerkering), only Strahm is capable of handling multiple innings. Thus, it seems likely that either Covey or Turnbull would fill one of the final two available positions, though there are other candidates in camp who could theoretically step into a multi-inning role.

So what would Turnbull need to do over the next few weeks to get the nod?

“Health. Strikes. Because his stuff is there,” Thomson said. “He can pitch. He's very poised. He's not going to scare away from trouble. If he's throwing strikes, with his stuff, then he's going to be fine.”