Tyler Phillips won't finish the month of August on the big-league roster
The next pitcher who could wind up crunched out of a rotation spot is rookie starter Tyler Phillips. While the Phillies plan to employ a six-man rotation at some point this month, Phillips could find himself back in Triple-A if they decide to go with just five starters when Suárez returns.
After bursting onto the scene with a record-breaking relief debut against the Atlanta Braves on July 7, the 26-year-old strung together some impressive starts until he ran into a brick wall in Seattle.
Before his start in Seattle, Phillips had a 1.80 ERA over 25 innings of work across four appearances (three starts). His string of success included a rousing complete-game shutout of the Cleveland Guardians.
Unfortunately, his fourth start against the Mariners went in the opposite direction. They clobbered him for eight runs on five hits in just 1 2/3 innings. The forgettable outing included three home runs, three walks and just one strikeout.
He turned in a gutsy start in his most recent outing against the Dodgers (subscription required), per The Philadelphia Inquirer's Alex Coffey. He held the NL West leaders to four runs on six hits while striking out three over five innings. However, it still might not be enough to secure his spot in the rotation when everyone is healthy.
Phillips should get the first crack at the sixth rotation spot, and deservedly so. We'll just have to see how long it lasts.