Spencer Turnbull
Spencer Turnbull is on the mend and on his way back to the active roster, apparently. The right-hander has been out since late June with a right lat strain but has been throwing at the team's Clearwater complex. He recently threw a live bullpen and could possibly return for the playoffs, according to MLB.com. He got up to 64 pitches overall in the up-and-down session. The team hopes he'll be able to throw a simulated game or a quick trip to Triple-A Lehigh Valley this weekend.
The Phillies are trying to get him back in time to help with the playoff run, but should they really be counting on him to be a part of their postseason roster?
The 32-year-old, who signed a one-year deal with the Phillies, did yeoman's work earlier this season as a rotation fill-in for the injured Taijuan Walker. In his six starts through the end of April, Turnbull posted a 1.67 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings. Things didn't go as smoothly when he was moved to the bullpen. He ran a 4.26 ERA in 19 innings as he attempted to learn how to pitch in relief.
Turnbull won't be a starter. Right now, those spots are taken by ace Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola while Cristopher Sánchez seems to have the edge for the No. 3 rotation spot ahead of the struggling Ranger Suárez. Usually, that's all you need for postseason starting pitchers. There's no harm in sticking him in the bullpen, but asking him to come into a playoff environment after not having faced live MLB action for more than three months might be a dicey proposition.