Phillies Cannot Afford This Massive Jesus Luzardo Blunder

Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo was scratched from his start against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday due to shoulder stiffness, which initially sounded terrifying.

The good news was that Luzardo's MRI did not show any serious damage, and there appears to be a chance he could make his next start.

That's if, of course, the Phillies allow it ... which they shouldn't.

Yes, I understand that Philadelphia is in the middle of a playoff hunt, and thanks to a recent slide, the Phillies are dangerously close to sliding out of the postseason picture altogether.

But that doesn't mean they should risk sending Luzardo to the mound next week.

Luzardo has meant everything for Philadelphia this season. In a year where Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler have had odd individual struggles, Luzardo has been consistent for most of the way.

The 28-year-old did get off to a rough start in 2026, but it didn't take him long to bounce back. Now, he is a legitimate NL Cy Young candidate, owning a 2.87 ERA while striking out 221 batters over 178.1 innings of work.

Most recently, Luzardo pitched a complete-game shutout against the Braves on Sept. 7, an outing in which he fanned 12 hitters and allowed four total baserunners.

Luzardo was good last year. He has been dominant in 2026, and if the Phillies want to have any chance of making a deep run in October, they need their southpaw healthy.

Of course, one can make the argument that Philadelphia needs to get there first, but unless the Phillies are sliding to the point where the playoffs are a 50-50 shot, they really can't afford the Luzardo risk. And even then, they probably can't either.

Luzardo has become the ace of Philly's staff, and this late in the year, any serious shoulder injury could cost him part of 2027, as well. Philadelphia must be cautious with the All-Star, and that means resisting the temptation to send him out to the bump.

At this point, the NL East looks to be foregone conclusion. Atlanta is beginning to run away with the division, so a Wild Card berth is the Phillies' only hope. But barring quite the collapse over these last two weeks, the Phils should be in the postseason.

Skipping one more start for Luzardo shouldn't be the difference in that.