The Philadelphia Phillies currently have six starting pitchers on their 26-man roster. With Kolby Allard being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Sunday, the order gets shuffled. To make room for Allard, the team optioned Max Lazar. Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that the Phillies wanted to give their regular starting pitchers extra rest. On the surface, that is not a bad idea. However, looking at the Phillies’ upcoming schedule, the idea does not look as good. The Phillies have four games against the Atlanta Braves in a crucial weekend series leading into an off day on September 2. Moreover, this series could very easily decide who wins the NL East. Currently, the Phillies have a six-game lead over the Braves.
Prior to today’s game against the Kansas City Royals, the Phillies recalled left-handed pitcher Kolby Allard from triple-A Lehigh Valley. To make room for Allard on the 26-man roster, right-handed pitcher Max Lazar was optioned to Lehigh Valley following last night’s game.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 25, 2024
Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Cristopher Sánchez will start against the Houston Astros to start the week, in that order. Wheeler would have started on four days rest on Sunday if Thomson had not adjusted the rotation. This creates a need to make some tough decisions for the order of starters for the Braves series. The Phillies could have skipped Taijuan Walker‘s next scheduled start in that scenario. That would have set up Wheeler, Nola, and Sánchez all starting against the Braves. Sánchez could now potentially make two road starts during the next road trip. This is notable because Sánchez has a 5.43 ERA on the road this season compared to a 2.18 ERA at home.
Phillies Starting Pitching Options for Braves Series
Scenario 1 – Allard Does Not Make A Start While Walker Does
In this scenario, the rotation continues as is and considers the Allard start as a one-off. Walker and Ranger Suárez, who returned from injury on August 24, would start the first two games of the Braves series. This would set up having Wheeler and Nola start the games on August 31 and September 1. Having Walker start the first game of a potential division-deciding series is a terrible idea. He has an 0-4 record and a 7.03 ERA in his last seven starts. However, the Phillies put themselves in a position where this is a real possibility. It does not appear that the Phillies are going to move on from Walker until the offseason at the earliest right now.
Scenario 2 – Walker Does Not Make A Start While Allard Does
This scenario is the reverse of the first scenario for the most part. Suárez would start the against the Braves on August 29 to start the series. Having recently returned from injury, Suárez starting then on four days rest seems unlikely. With that being said, the Phillies have an off day after the Braves series. This also allows for Walker to be skipped in the rotation. In this scenario, Allard, Wheeler, and Nola would round out the rotation against the Braves. According to Thomson, the Phillies are undecided about if Walker will make his next start as scheduled. Going this route would not be entirely surprising. That leaves the door open for this scenario as a possibility.
Scenario 3 – Call-Up Made With Allard Optioned, Walker Does Not Make A Start
This option is the least likely of the three. It sees Allard optioned and someone called up to start the August 29 game against the Braves. One call-up candidate is Kyle Tyler, who the Phillies claimed off waivers recently. He is now on the 40-man roster. Furthermore, Tyler has not made a start since Wednesday and would be well rested. Tyler, who was optioned on August 11, will be eligible to be called up starting on Monday. Hypothetically, Mick Abel could be an option as well. While he is not currently on the 40-man roster, he is Rule 5 Draft-eligible this offseason. Abel last pitched on August 22. It is also worth noting that rosters expand on September 1. In this scenario, Suárez, Wheeler, and Nola start the other three games against the Braves.
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