Brad Hand placed on IL, Phillies shuffle rotation
Before Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies placed reliever Brad Hand on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Sept. 22) with left elbow tendinitis. He’s eligible to return during the last series of the season in Houston and could be in play to pitch in the postseason if he’s healthy. Thomson is not sure yet if that’s a realistic possibility.
To replace Hand in the bullpen, the Phillies selected the contract of right hander Chris Devenski from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Johan Camargo was designated for assignment to make room for Devenski on the 40-man roster.
The Phillies signed Devenski to a minor league contract at the end of August prior to rosters expanding from 26 to 28 players. In nine outings with Lehigh Valley, Devenski has a 1.04 ERA. He’s pitched in the big leagues this season with Arizona, where he posted a 7.59 ERA over 10 2/3 innings. Devenski underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2021.
“He said he felt like he was just kind of knocking the rust. Then he got DFA’d and we picked him up,” Thomson said. “He thought it was coming and then he got DFA’d and once he got here, he really felt like he started to get there.”
The move leaves one left hander, José Alvarado, in the bullpen, but Thomson doesn’t think that’s an issue since the Phillies have a few right handed relievers that can get lefties out.
“The velocity is up there pretty good and it’s a really filthy changeup that get can get left handers out,” Thomson said on Devenski. ” … If Brogdon can do what he does and Devinski does what he does, we got essentially, two lefties in the bullpen.”
Devinski is postseason eligible. He’s pitched in the postseason in 2017 and 2019 with the Houston Astros.
Phillies move Nola up in rotation
The Phillies have to get to the postseason first, but the team has already lined up their rotation for a possible wild card series in two weeks.
Aaron Nola’s next start was moved from Thursday to Wednesday. Ranger Suarez will get six days of rest and pitch Thursday. Here’s what it could look like for the rest of the season.
- Tuesday vs. Cubs: Zack Wheeler/Noah Syndergaard
- Wednesday vs. Cubs: Aaron Nola
- Thursday vs. Cubs: Ranger Suarez
- Friday vs. Nationals: Bailey Falter
- Saturday vs. Nationals (doubleheader): Kyle Gibson and Noah Syndergaard
- Sunday vs. Nationals: Zack Wheeler
- Monday vs. Astros: Aaron Nola
- Tuesday vs. Astros: Ranger Suarez
- Wednesday vs. Astros: Bailey Falter
It sets up Wheeler, Nola and Suarez for Games 1, 2 and 3 in the wild card round.
Let’s say the Phillies have clinched a postseason berth before the Houston series and they don’t necessarily need Nola to pitch that day in Houston. Thomson says Nola will take the mound anyway, possibly for a shorter outing.
Thomson also says there is a possibility Syndergaard may not piggyback Wheeler on Tuesday. He provided this hypothetical: If Wheeler throws six innings and the Phillies have a 3-1 lead, Thomson will go with the usual three guys in the back end — Alvarado, Seranthony Dominguez and David Robertson — and have Syndergaard pitch a lengthy bullpen session instead to prepare him for his start against Washington.
Castellanos getting closer
Hitters typically do not take batting practice on the field before early afternoon games, but Nick Castellanos was out with first base coach Paco Figueroa with Thomson watching closely. Thomson left the session liking where the right field was at in his rehab back from an oblique strain that has kept him out of the Phillies lineup for three weeks.
“It was unbelievable. He was peppering that batter’s eye back there,” Thomson said.
He might hit again in Chicago during the off day Monday. Thomson says he will be back at some point during the Chicago series. Tuesday’s opener is a possibility.
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