The Phillies are running out of runway in the regular season, and that makes Jesus Luzardo’s return one of the biggest storylines left on the board.
Philadelphia is close to locking in a playoff spot, but the margin for error shrinks fast once October is in view. That’s why the club needs every healthy arm it can get, especially with Luzardo missing time because of left shoulder inflammation. He has been out for a little over a week, and his absence has only made an already imperfect rotation situation more noticeable.
That loss matters because Luzardo has been one of the best pitchers on the roster all year. He’s put together a career season with a 2.67 ERA, a 14-5 record and an SO9 of 11.1.
He also owns a 2.77 FIP, the best mark on the team. Even with Cristopher Sanchez picking up four more wins, Luzardo’s individual numbers have made a strong case that he’s been Philadelphia’s top pitcher this season.
Now there’s at least some encouraging news on the rehab front. According to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury, Luzardo is feeling better than he did when he first hit the injury report.
“I feel really good, healthy,” stated Luzardo. “Everything is out of there.”
The Phillies won’t need him to come back in one specific shape if they get him on the postseason roster. Luzardo said he’s open to whatever role the team asks of him, whether that means starting or working out of the bullpen.
“Whatever role they need me,” explained Luzardo. “If they need me one inning, two innings out of the bullpen, three innings. I can start."
If Luzardo does get back on the mound in October, he’ll still be chasing his first playoff win. Through six postseason appearances, he has yet to put one in the win column.
In Other News...
Phillies Suddenly Have A New October Worry With Luis Arraez
Luis Arraezs night ended early Thursday after he came up limping on a play at first base, giving the Phillies a fresh health concern as the regular season winds down. The initial diagnosis is a sprained ankle, and the next step is further evaluation, but even that first update is enough to add some unease around a team trying to get through the final stretch in one piece.
For Philadelphia, the timing matters as much as the injury itself. Any absence for Arraez could ripple into the clubs final games before the MLB playoffs, where even a minor setback can affect lineup plans, rhythm, and late-season momentum. The Phillies are already close enough to October to feel every scare, and this one arrives with no shortage of relevance. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Playoff Push Is Raising Two Very Different October Concerns
The Phillies are closing in on a fifth straight playoff berth, and the late-season surge has come after a rough opening stretch that put real pressure on a club expected to contend. Under interim manager Don Mattingly, the turnaround has steadied the group enough to carry a two-game edge over the Arizona Diamondbacks with three games left, putting Philadelphia in position to keep its October streak alive.
Alec Bohm has been part of that push, with his play picking up notably since August and giving the lineup a more reliable presence as the games tightened. Orion Kerkering, though, has been on the opposite track, and his recent struggles have left a different kind of question hanging over the bullpen as the Phillies try to finish the job and sort out which version of this team they can trust once the postseason begins. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Are Asking A Lot From Two Arms They Can't Afford To Lose
The Phillies are heading into October with a bullpen they cant exactly trust to carry the load, so the plan has shifted toward squeezing more out of the arms at the top. Manager Don Mattingly is expected to lean heavily on closer Jhoan Duran and set-up man Alex McFarlane, with the hope that longer outings from the starters can keep the rest of the relief group out of the fire.
It is a precarious way to navigate a postseason, especially for a bullpen that has ranked 27th in ERA since September and has offered few dependable options beyond those two. The idea is simple enough on paper, but the part the Phillies have to live with now is whether Duran and McFarlane can handle the extra workload without becoming the very thing the club is trying to avoid losing. [Read more 🡒]