Phillies starting pitcher Vince Velasquez will be activated from the disabled list and start Monday night against the Diamondbacks
After avoiding a potential season-ending injury to his pitching arm, Vince Velasquez will rejoin the team Monday and start against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Phillies Manager Pete MacKanin confirmed Velasquez’s return as the team prepared to face Madison Bumgarner Saturday night in San Francisco.
MacKanin also said Adam Morgan will be available to pitch out of the bullpen on Sunday, but is widely expected to be sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to work some things out.
Vince Velasquez will pitch Monday. Phillies won't make roster move till then. Adam Morgan available for bullpen Sunday.
— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyNBCS) June 25, 2016
Velasquez suffered a strained right biceps muscle after throwing just two pitches in his last start. He made one rehab start in Double-A Reading and pitched five strong innings. The righty said that would be all the work he needed, but would rely on the doctors’ advice.
An innings limit is also on the table for Velasquez, whose agent Scott Boras is well known for having his younger pitchers use that strategy. While he could not give a definitive number when asked in San Francisco Friday, Velasquez predicted somewhere around 150-160 innings would be his max this season in order to protect his arm.
He has 61.2 innings recorded already in 2016, thanks to a three-hit shutout in his second start of the season. He is 5-2 with a 3.65 ERA, and has thrown over 1,000 pitches for the first time in his short major league career.
Phillies pitching prospect Zach Eflin filled Velasquez spot on the 25 man roster, but is expected to stay in the major leagues after a strong start against the San Francisco Giants earlier this week on the road.