This week’s lineup of opposing pitchers isn’t exactly kind to the Philadelphia Phillies. Salvaging Sunday’s series finale against the San Francisco Giants will require them to defeat Carlos Rodón, who figures to get some votes toward the top of the 2022 National League Cy Young ballot. Sandy Alcántara, who very well might win that award, comes to town on Thursday. Jesús Luzardo, Miami’s starter this Tuesday, is no slouch.
And the Phillies will have to tackle that mini-gauntlet without Nick Castellanos. The club is placing Castellanos on the injured list with what interim manager Rob Thomson described Sunday as a “very mild” strain in his oblique. Castellanos aggravated the oblique Friday and was out of Saturday’s lineup while getting an MRI.
Thomson said the club is hoping Castellanos is back “when the IL days are up” — presumably 10 days, which would mean a Sept. 13 return, assuming the placement is retroactive to Saturday. (If it’s any longer, it’s worth noting, Castellanos would miss the Sept. 13 series opener in Miami, another start Alcántara is lined up to make.)
Dalton Guthrie will be the corresponding move. Guthrie is hitting .302 with an .839 OPS this season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley – .325 and .926 since July 1. He’s 9-for-14 in three September games.
Thomson said Guthrie’s defensive ability in the outfield made him a better fit than Yairo Muñoz, who was optioned to Triple-A on Aug. 25. Guthrie is supposed to land at 11:30 a.m. and likely would’ve started if Sunday’s was a night game. Thomson expects Guthrie to play Tuesday.
“He’s a good player,” Thomson said. “He can play anywhere on the diamond. He’s hit extremely well this year … He’s earned it.”
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Brandon Marsh is out of the lineup on Sunday. Thomson said it’s just a day off for Marsh, who came off the injured list on Aug. 27 and played each day on the current west coast road trip, save for Thursday’s off day. “Now he’s got two days,” Thomson said, “and maybe three.” (The Phillies are off Monday, and Luzardo is a lefty.)
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Brad Hand threw 38 pitches on Saturday; the guess here is that he’s unavailable Sunday. Sam Coonrod did the same on Friday, but that might not take him out of the picture for the finale. Andrew Bellatti threw both days, but Thomson doesn’t have a strict rule against back-to-back-to-backs for relievers.
But while Thomson said the bullpen is “OK” on Sunday, he and the Phillies would still like to see some length from Ranger Suárez. Suárez has struggled in his two starts since firing seven scoreless innings on Aug. 17. Over his last two outings, the 27-year-old has walked six and allowed nine runs (five earned) across 9 ⅓ innings.
Starting pitching has not been kind to the Phillies this week. Suárez’s start on Monday helped the Diamondbacks crawl back from down 7-0 to win 13-7. Aaron Nola allowed eight runs in four innings the next day. Kyle Gibson conceded seven in 1 ⅔ on Friday. Noah Syndergaard gave up four in under five innings on Saturday.
The Phillies could really use a start like that Aug. 17 outing on Sunday against Rodón.
“I do want some length,” Thomson said, “‘cause that means he’s pitching well.”
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Perhaps more than anything, the Phillies are ready to go home. Pending Sunday’s outcome, the west coast road trip will end at 2-4 or 1-5 — so, either subpar or awful, if you will.
“It’s always exciting to get back home in front of your own fans,” Thomson said. “Hopefully there’s some excitement there this week.”
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Thomson said he’s thought about moving Bryce Harper back to the third spot in the lineup, but that the Phillies will keep Alec Bohm there for now.
“Bohmer’s still hitting .300 in the last week — .290 or something like that,” Thomson said. (It’s .250, to be precise.) Bohm has a .679 OPS since hitting for a .434 average in a torrid July. Harper has been hitting cleanup since his Aug. 26 return.
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Seranthony Domínguez will join Zach Eflin in throwing live batting practice on Tuesday, Thomson said. A rehab assignment could come next. Bailey Falter, who exited early on Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, was throwing a bullpen session at Oracle Park about two hours before Sunday’s first pitch. There are no new updates on Zack Wheeler.
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