Howard was invited to the Phillies' major-league spring training Monday.
Howard battled shoulder soreness last season, but he managed to progress to the Double-A level and record a 2.35 ERA with a 0.96 WHIP over 30.2 innings with Double-A Reading. While he's unlikely to open the season on the major-league roster, he'll get the chance to work with the big-league coaching staff and will likely make his debut in the majors sometime in 2020 if he continues to progress.