Jesus Luzardo could return, but not in the role Philadelphia Phillies fans would want.
You can make a legitimate argument that Jesus Luzardo has been the Philadelphia Phillies' best starting pitcher this season. In fact, it's hard to argue against it.
In 29 starts, Luzardo has logged a 2.87 ERA while allowing just 141 hits over 178.2 innings of work. He has racked up 221 strikeouts during that span and boasts an impressive 4.25 K/BB ratio. It has been the best year of his career, and he was rewarded with his first career All-Star selection as a result.
However, after pitching a complete-game shutout against the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 7, Luzardo ended up on the 15-day injured list due to shoulder inflammation.
He will not pitch again during the regular season, and his playoff status is up in the air.
The good news? Luzardo has been cleared to throw, so he is making good progress. The bad news? He'll probably only be used as a reliever in the Wild Card Series if he is available.
That's a tough break for the Phillies, who watched Luzardo dominate all season long only to see his health crack just before the postseason.
While Zack Wheeler has righted the ship after a rough stretch, Cristopher Sanchez has been wobbly during the second half. And for as terrific as Aaron Nola has been over the last couple of months, it's still somewhat difficult to trust him.
Philadelphia's best chance of winning a playoff series is with some combination of Luzardo, Wheeler and Sanchez. The Phils might not get that opportunity now. At least not in the Wild Card Series, where they will will absolutely be vulnerable.
If the Phillies are able to advance (and this is assuming they clinch this week, of course), then perhaps Luzardo can return to his role as a starter for the Division Series. But it seems clear that Philadelphia is being careful with him, which is obviously understandable.
The Phillies are dangerous because of their starting rotation. There really aren't any other reasons to fear Philadelphia. Its offense has been anemic recently. Its bullpen has been unmitigated disaster. And it sounds harsh, but I don't think Pat Murphy, Dave Roberts or any of the other NL managers fear being outmaneuvered by Don Mattingly.
If Luzardo is able to somehow work his way back into his role as a starter, then the Phillies will become a scary October opponent. If he is relegated to the bullpen? It's better than not having him at all, I guess, but it's still not ideal.
