Phillies SP Jeremy Hellickson Sprains Right Knee in Loss
The lone veteran in the Phillies pitching rotation has thrown his last pitch of the season, and possibly as a Phillie
The home stretch of any season is extremely tough to get through. Injuries begin to pile up and veterans are worn out.
Thursday evening in Atlanta, Jeremy Hellickson pulled himself in the fourth inning after looking to have been injured. There was no clear sign of anything on the replay and he did not wince or grab anything immediately.
Hellickson has missed only one start this season due to a back issue, but showed no signs his back was acting up again.
After the game, the Phillies confirmed Hellickson sprained his right knee during his delivery. The righty had only allowed one hit through 3.1 innings and had just struck out his fourth batter of the night. The Phillies would ultimately lose 5-2 after the overworked bullpen fell apart once again.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | |
| Phillies | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Braves | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | X | 5 |
On the Phillies last road trip, we’ve seen the pitching staff look extremely fatigued and over-worked. A Phillies starting pitcher has not gone more than five innings since Jerad Eickhoff pitched seven against the White Sox on September 21.
With just three games remaining in the regular season, Jeremy Hellickson will have pitched his final game for the Phillies this year, and potentially ever. The free agent to-be will most likely receive a qualifying offer from the Phillies, which they hope he will decline in order to receive a first round compensatory draft pick.
Acquired on November 14 from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for a minor league pitcher, Jeremy Hellickson has been the clubs most consistent pitcher in his best season since winning the Rookie of the Year.
Hellickson finishes the season 12-10 with a 3.78 ERA in 31 starts. His 185.2 innings pitched are the most since his rookie season in 2011. His best outing of the season was last week against Miami when he pitched a three-hit shutout.
Jeremy Hellickson was a class act in what was an extremely tough situation. Pitching for his third team in as many years, Hellickson was thrown into the fire as the lone veteran in an evolving rotation. Even when the trade rumors swirled vigorously around him, he went about his business and took the mound every five days.