The Phillies got a much-needed sign of progress on Jesús Luzardo, who has started his throwing program after landing on the injured list with shoulder stiffness.
Luzardo was scratched from his Sept. 12 start against the Atlanta Braves, then went on the injured list on Sept. 15. That left Philadelphia scrambling at a point in the season when every inning matters, especially with the club trying to lock down a playoff spot and sort out a rotation that suddenly looked thinner without one of its top arms.
But there is now a clear step forward. On Sunday, a few hours before the Phillies faced the New York Mets in the series finale at Citi Field, Luzardo was cleared to play catch and was doing so on the field. Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported the update on X, and Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly pointed to the recent improvement in the left-hander’s condition.
“Obviously, positive signs with him,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said, via Gelb on The Athletic (subscription required). “Getting better and better.
The last couple of days, the range of motion was back. There was no more stiffness.”
There’s still a checklist ahead. Luzardo has yet to get to a bullpen session, and that could come this week. He is eligible to return for the final regular-season game on Sept. 27 against the Tampa Bay Rays, though there is no intention of having him pitch in that game.
The layoff has been significant. Luzardo hasn’t thrown since Sept. 7, when he tossed a complete-game shutout against the Braves.
Before he played catch at Citi Field, he had gone nine days without throwing a ball at all. The team’s head physician, Steven Cohen, cleared the All-Star to begin throwing.
“Very optimistic,” Dombrowski said. “That’s all I really can say at this point. But, yeah, very optimistic.”
If Luzardo does make it back, his role is still unsettled. At the moment, a bullpen assignment appears to be the most realistic path, which would give a struggling relief group a boost. But Mattingly said the Phillies are still considering both options, and a return to the rotation has not been ruled out.
In Other News...
Phillies Have A Growing 2027 Roster Problem Fans Can See Coming
The Phillies have spent much of this season trying to balance a win-now roster with the reality that the back end of the roster does not always age gracefully. That tension is starting to show when you look ahead to 2027, where a few familiar names could be facing a much shakier path to staying in Philadelphia if their current trends continue.
Catching depth is part of the issue, with Rafael Marchn and Garrett Stubbs both coming off declining production, while Orion Kerkerings struggles have complicated his standing even as his trade value remains a real factor. The left-handed relief group has also been uneven, as Tanner Banks and Jos Alvarado have not delivered the kind of consistency the Phillies would want, and Brandon Marshs downturn only adds to the sense that some roster decisions may be getting harder before long. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Marsh Has Become A Huge Phillies Problem At Worst Time
Brandon Marshs season has taken a sharp turn in the second half, and the timing has made his slump a real issue for the Phillies. Before the All-Star break, he was giving them the kind of steady production that made his spot in the lineup feel secure, hitting .301 with an .829 OPS and looking like a dependable presence in the outfield.
Since then, the numbers have fallen off hard, with a .179 average and a .474 OPS over 56 games, and Philadelphias offensive problems have only grown around it. For a team trying to get its bats lined up for the stretch run, Marshs slide has become more than an individual rough patch - its one of the problems the Phillies have had to keep working around. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Suddenly Face A Big Jesus Luzardo Question
Jesus Luzardo has reached a meaningful checkpoint after the left shoulder inflammation that sent him to the injured list. He has been cleared to throw again, which at least gives the Phillies a path back to getting one of their most talented arms moving in the right direction after a frustrating pause.
The bigger question now is less about whether Luzardo will pitch again and more about how Philadelphia uses him when he does. Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported that his next stint could come in relief rather than as a starter, a wrinkle that could change how the Phillies map out their pitching plans in the days ahead. [Read more 🡒]