The Phillies managed to turn one bad night into a full-blown headache.
They walked into Friday’s series opener against the Braves four games back in the division, with a sweep offering a path to get within one game and keep the race alive with 12 to play. Instead, Atlanta handed them a 6-5 loss in 11 innings, and the gap swelled to five games with one more game still sitting on the schedule Saturday.
That alone would have been enough to sting. But the bigger blow came after the game, when manager Don Mattingly said Jesús Luzardo will be scratched from his Saturday start because of left shoulder stiffness.
Jesús Luzardo has been scratched from tomorrow’s start because of left shoulder stiffness. Don Mattingly said he thinks rest will help. He didn’t seem to be too concerned, but obviously serious enough not to pitch.
- Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) September 12, 2026
Friday’s loss had the whole ugly Phillies package: runners left on base, shaky defense, a bullpen that couldn’t hold up its end, and the kind of baserunning mistakes that have frustrated this team before. It was the sort of game that reminded everyone why confidence in this group has been so hard to come by.
What makes the Luzardo news so brutal is the timing. The 28-year-old has been Philadelphia’s hottest arm lately, and his last outing was the best of his career - a complete-game shutout with 12 strikeouts and only two hits allowed against that same Braves lineup.
With him lined up for Saturday, the Phillies at least had a real shot to stay in the race. Without him, and with the bullpen already under pressure, the outlook changes fast.
The concern doesn’t stop with one missed start. If the shoulder issue sticks around, it could affect the Phillies far beyond the regular season. A short series can hinge on one starter taking over a game, and Luzardo has looked like that guy.
If he can’t go, the alternatives get uncomfortable in a hurry. Zack Wheeler has been getting hit around for more than a month.
Cristopher Sánchez has looked far more ordinary since his scoreless streak ended. Aaron Nola has been knocked around more often than not over the last two seasons.
That’s why Phillies fans have been debating which of those three should get the Game 1 nod in the postseason. After Friday and the Luzardo setback, the question feels different now.
It’s not about which game he should start. It’s whether he can start at all.
In Other News...
Phillies Suddenly Change Plans For A Braves Game That Matters
A key Phillies pitching plan hit a snag just as the club prepared for a game with real implications against Atlanta. Jess Luzardo was scratched from the starting assignment because of stiffness in his left shoulder, according to manager Don Mattingly, and Philadelphia is now turning to a bullpen game instead. Luzardo has been one of the team's workhorse arms this season, giving the rotation important length and regularly taking on heavy innings and pitch counts.
For the Phillies, the timing matters almost as much as the injury concern itself. A bullpen day against the Braves changes the shape of the matchup, and it puts more strain on a relief group that may already be asked to do plenty. The expectation is that Luzardo will be back in a few days after extra rest, but the immediate question is how Philadelphia navigates this stretch without one of its most relied-upon starters. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Have A Jhoan Duran Problem They Can't Ignore In October
Jhoan Duran has been one of the biggest reasons the Phillies have been able to steady their late innings this season. The All-Star closer has piled up strikeouts and worked his way into the role the club expected when it brought him in, giving Philadelphia a dominant arm to lean on when games tighten up in September and beyond.
But October has a way of exposing every soft spot, and Durans numbers in tie games are hard to overlook. Opposing hitters have done far too much damage in those spots, including a costly homer in a recent game against the Astros, while the bullpen around him has been uneven enough to force the Phillies to think carefully about who gets the biggest outs if the game is still hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Suddenly Face A Delicate Aaron Nola Playoff Decision
Aaron Nolas late-season rebound has given the Phillies something they can use, and something they now have to manage carefully. Since August, his outings have generally been sharper, and most of that run has come with Garrett Stubbs behind the plate, a pairing that has quietly become one of the more interesting variables in Philadelphias playoff planning.
Garrett Stubbs has not offered much with the bat, but the Phillies believe his work with Nola has helped unlock better results from the right-hander. That leaves the club weighing a choice it would rather not have to make: keep leaning into the chemistry that has worked, or stick with J.T. Realmuto in October even as his performance and workload have dipped enough to push the team into some experimentation. [Read more 🡒]