Philadelphia Phillies manager Don Mattingly revealed a big injury update on starter Jesús Luzardo before the playoffs begin.
With just a few games left in the regular season for the Philadelphia Phillies, the team is looking to position itself for the upcoming playoffs.
Philadelphia is still fighting for a playoff spot, but they seem to be in good shape heading into the final few days of the year. But where this team will land in the wild-card standings remains the biggest question.
Another major question around the Phillies right now is the health status of ace left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who has been out due to left shoulder inflammation. Luzardo has been on the 15-day injured list, but he threw a bullpen session today.
The next step for the left-hander will be to see how he feels following the bullpen, and if he is pain free, he could face hitters this weekend. With this, Phillies manager Don Mattingly said that Luzardo could potentially play in the wild-card series next week for the team.
Mattingly wouldn't close the door on whether this could be him starting, or possibly coming out of the bullpen. But either way, this would be a huge boost to the Phillies' chances, no matter which role Luzardo would take on.
Before going down with the injury, Luzardo was looking like one of the more dominant pitchers in the game. For the season, the left-hander has recorded a 2.87 ERA over 29 starts for the Phillies.
But over his last seven starts, Luzardo has allowed two runs or fewer, showing pure domination on the mound. This includes him throwing three shutouts in this span, including a complete game one against the Atlanta Braves.
Luzardo registerd a 1.31 ERA over five starts in August, and he followed that up with a 0.57 ERA over two starts in September. So, if the Phillies can get him back for the wild-card series, it could push the advantage back toward them, even slightly.
Of course, the Phillies won't rush Luzardo back from this injury and the team will give him ample time to recover. But given where the calendar is and with the playoffs starting next week, time is of the essence for the veteran left-hander.
Philadelphia has one of the better starting rotations in the game, and Luzardo is a big piece to the puzzle for them. Even with the recent offensive struggles for the Phillies, the rotation is good enough to carry this group over a postseason series.
But for now, the Phillies will focus on trying to clinch a playoff spot, while hoping for the best from Luzardo.
