The Phillies had hoped he would fill the No. 5 spot in their rotation until Kolby Allard could be recalled from Triple-A on September 10. However, after a poor performance on Tuesday, Phillips was sent back to Lehigh Valley on Wednesday.
In his place, the Phillies selected right-hander Nick Nelson, who had made three appearances in early April, one last season, and 47 the year before. To clear a spot for Nelson on the 40-man roster, right-hander Michael Rucker was designated for assignment.
Phillips struggled in Toronto, failing to get out of the first inning, allowing eight baserunners and six runs. Despite this, the Phillies managed a dramatic 10-9 victory, thanks to Kyle Schwarber’s third home run of the night, part of a five-hit game.
Phillips had a standout start to his major league career in July with a 3-0 record and a 1.80 ERA over 25 innings, including a four-hit shutout against the Cleveland Guardians. However, his performance has deteriorated since then, with 23 earned runs allowed in his last 11⅔ innings, marking the highest ERA for a Phillies pitcher over a four-game stretch in 30 years.
For the next start in the fifth spot, scheduled for Sunday in Miami, the Phillies have several options. It could be Nelson as a starter or a bulk reliever, or they might opt for a bullpen game depending on usage in the preceding nights.
The Phillies’ pitching lineup includes Cristopher Sanchez on Wednesday in Toronto, followed by Ranger Suarez, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and the fifth spot in Miami.
Taijuan Walker was taken out of the rotation after a tough outing against the Astros last Wednesday. He made his debut out of the bullpen on Tuesday night, pitching three innings and giving up two runs, including a home run to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
As a spot starter, Kolby Allard has been the most effective. He boasts a 3.50 ERA over four appearances (three of which were starts) and has allowed just four runs in 14 innings during his last three outings, with two walks and 12 strikeouts.
Harper, Castellanos back in there
There was some uncertainty about whether Bryce Harper or Nick Castellanos would be in the lineup the day after a night game where both players sustained injuries.
Castellanos left the game late after being hit on the leg by a pitch. Despite this, he is serving as the designated hitter and remains on track to play all 162 games.
Harper grimaced during his final at-bat, dropping his bat after striking out. Manager Rob Thomson informed reporters that Harper aggravated the elbow issue that’s been troubling him for several weeks. Additionally, Harper is contending with a wrist injury that has persisted since May.
On Tuesday, Harper went 2-for-6. While he hasn’t hit a home run in 92 plate appearances since August 9, he has batted .372/.449/.535 with seven doubles over his last 11 games.
Leave a Reply