The Philadelphia Phillies just got hit with a gut punch, sending ace left-hander Jesús Luzardo to the injured list on Tuesday. This went down three days after he was scratched from a start because of shoulder stiffness, and while an MRI showed no structural damage, the guy still isn’t feeling as good as everyone hoped. Right-hander Grant Holman is up to fill his spot, but let’s be real, that’s not exactly a like-for-like swap.
The “Just Inflammation” Situation and What It Means
Interim manager Don Mattingly tried to play it cool after last week’s MRI, saying, “It’s kind of what we thought. We didn’t feel like there was anything truly going on other than the inflammation, which was causing the stiffness and things like that.” He added that Luzardo “would have taken the ball,” but they didn’t want this to be “the rest of the year.” So they’re taking care of it now to “get it knocked out, and then just have Zeus be Zeus.” Sounds great on paper, right? But “Zeus” is sidelined. By backdating the 15-day IL stint three days, Luzardo *could* be eligible to return next Saturday, September 26. But “eligible” and “ready” are two wildly different things, especially for October baseball. Mattingly isn’t ruling him out for a playoff start, which is a hopeful sign, but we’ve all seen how these things go.
The Big Hole in Philly’s Rotation
Here’s the kicker: this shoulder issue popped up right after Luzardo absolutely DOMINATED the Atlanta Braves last week, throwing a two-hit shutout, striking out 12, and tossing 109 pitches. Luzardo himself said, “If you ask me, I think it’s a coincidence, especially because I felt good in the moment. Yeah, I honestly don’t know. Maybe it didn’t help, but again, it’s September, so it could have really been anything.” Coincidence or not, it’s a major problem. Luzardo, who turns 29 in two weeks, ranks sixth among all pitchers in WAR and is in the first year of a five-year, $135 million extension because he’s been one of the game’s best pitchers these last few months. The Phillies’ strength *is* their rotation, with Luzardo, Cristopher Sánchez, and Zack Wheeler forming what’s been called the game’s most dominant 1-2-3 punch. Aaron Nola has had a resurgence, sure, but the source makes it clear: he is not Luzardo. That’s a “significant” step down if Luzardo can’t make a Wild Card Series start.
The Phillies are currently just one game up on that third wild-card spot and 3 ½ games clear of a postseason berth. The Wild Card Series kicks off on Tuesday, September 29. That means Luzardo will go at least 21 days between starts unless they sneak him in during the final week of the regular season, or maybe try him out as a reliever for the Wild Card Series. Either way, this is a massive blow, and the next few weeks are going to be a wild ride as they figure out how to navigate October without their ace at full strength.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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