SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Phillies center fielder Dante Nori was in the starting lineup for the Surprise Saguaros in their Arizona Fall League opener on Oct. 7. He picked up his first hit in his second at-bat and, when he was thrown out trying to steal, felt a little tweak.

In many cases, that would mark the end of a player's AFL stint. No reason to risk anything, so as time passed without Nori's return to the lineup, there was anticipation for a transaction announcement ... that never came.

"I had no interest in going home whatsoever," Nori said in a recent interview on the MLB Pipeline Podcast . "Even the Phillies, they know how I am. There was no chance I was going home out here. I wanted to play ball. I love this group, and I just wanted to keep getting better out here. So no, going hom

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