After tumultuous week, Pat Neshek is headed to the injured list

Philadelphia Phillies reliever Pat Neshek has had a pretty brutal week. That week is going to end with him being placed on the injured list.

After the Phillies Friday evening win over the Milwaukee Brewers – a game that Neshek didn’t pitch in – Phillies manager Gabe Kapler told the collective media, including Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia, that Neshek will be placed on the injured list with a sore shoulder. Salisbury also noted that Neshek will head back to Philadelphia, which would suggest an MRI could be coming.

Neshek, 38, wasn’t ready to come into Monday’s game against the Chicago Cubs when Seranthony Dominguez got into a jam in the eighth inning, his second inning of work. A day later, Neshek said that he hadn’t been given enough time to warm up before being asked if he was ready to come into the game.

Kapler admitted that he needed to do a better job giving his relievers ample time to get prepared before coming into high-leverage situations. However, he also noted that Neshek never came into the Phillies 10th inning win because he was “a little sore.” Neshek tried to downplay the soreness, but his performance three days later suggested there may have been an issue.

The Phillies nearly blew a seven-run lead Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field, in part due to Neshek allowing home runs to Kyle Schwarber and Anthony Rizzo in less than a full inning of work.

Neshek, an All-Star for the Phillies in 2017, was traded to the Colorado Rockies in July of 2017. After finishing out the season with the Rockies, Neshek returned to Philadelphia on a two-year/$16.25 million deal. Neshek posted a 2.59 ERA in 30 games in 2018, but that came after he missed the first three months of the season with a right shoulder strain. A shoulder injury for a pitcher is always concerning, but given how much time a shoulder injury cost Neshek a year ago, it’s even more of a red flag in this case.

The injured list is now crowded with relief pitchers. Neshek will join Tommy Hunter, Edubray Ramos, Victor Arano and David Robertson on the injured list. You could build a hell of a bullpen with that group if they were all healthy. They aren’t, which makes a stellar two-inning relief outing from Vince Velasquez Friday evening that much more noteworthy.

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