Phillies news: Zach Eflin’s season is over

Phillies announce Zach Eflin will have surgery and miss the rest of the season

Two weeks ago, Phillies manager Joe Girardi was saying that Zach Eflin could return from the Injured List soon.

Today, the Phillies announced that Eflin will undergo surgery on his right patellar tendon. They have moved him to the 60-day IL, and his season is over.

With the recovery time being six to eight months, Eflin won’t be ready for Opening Day 2022, either. So this not only impacts the Phillies in the present, but in the future, as well.

The Phillies will need to win without Eflin and Velasquez

Eflin last pitched for the Phils on July 16, and has been on both the IL and the COVID-related IL since. Vince Velasquez also has not pitched since July 30. They are two of several injured players the team has had to make do without, and the pitching, though not stellar, is hurting without them.

On the other hand, the Phillies went on their eight-game win streak in August without Eflin and Velasquez. Kyle Gibson has been crucial as a trade deadline addition. But it’s never easy to be sidelined when your team is attempting to make the playoffs for the first time in a decade and you want to contribute.

Eflin was drafted by the Padres in the first round of the 2012 draft but made his MLB debut with the Phillies in 2016. This season, he had a 4.17 ERA over 18 starts with 99 strikeouts over 105 2/3 innings before his injury.

Get well soon, sir.