Phillies lose Jerad Eickhoff for 6-8 weeks with lat strain

Phillies training camp has been relatively healthy until they lost one of their rising stars

Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff will miss six to eight weeks after suffering a lat strain. Rehab will begin with at least a week of rest then with the righty restarting his spring training program.

The 27-year-old, who was acquired in the Cole Hamels trade with Texas, entered camp as the oldest starter in the rotation. His also missed time last season with a similar injury that limited him to 24 starts and an ERA of 4.71, more than a whole point up from the year before.

Luckily for the Phillies the team brought in ace Jake Arrieta on a long-term deal prior to the injury, or else his price may have been jacked up.

Likely to replace Eickhoff in the starting rotation is Ben Lively, who was projected to be the number five starter before Arrieta signed this week. Prospect Thomas Eshelman will also get a look after an impressive spring boasting a 1.13 ERA in eight innings.

Lively made 15 starts last year with a 4.26 ERA and a 4-7 record after jumping through the organization alongside fellow starter Nick Pivetta.

An unlikely option for the Phillies is free agent Alex Cobb, who remains unsigned with only a couple of weeks until the regular season begins.

Next: Which Arrieta will the Phillies get?

The starting rotation now appears to be Arrieta, Aaron Nola, Vince Velasquez, Pivetta, and either Lively or Eshelman. Arrieta removed, the starting rotation’s average age is 25 years old, one of the youngest in baseball.