Spencer Turnbull
Spencer Turnbull was signed by the Phillies this past offseason to a one-year contract to help provide valuable pitching depth for the organization. As it turned out, the Phillies actually had to use that pitching depth right away when Taijuan Walker began the year on the IL due to a shoulder impingement. As a result, Turnbull made the Opening Day roster as part of the starting five.
As the de-facto fifth starter in the rotation, Turnbull was terrific, going 2-0 with a stellar 1.67 ERA and 0.84 WHIP, with 10 walks and 36 strikeouts in just 32 1/3 innings pitched over six starts. Despite the small sample size, he appeared to be the perfect solution to the Phillies’ back end of the rotation spot.
However, upon Walker’s reinstatement from the IL, Turnbull was relegated to the bullpen, where he struggled in the new role as the long man. Over 10 appearances, he compiled a 4.26 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and .257 opponents batting average, giving up nine earned runs in 19 innings of work. When it appeared that he would get another shot in the rotation after Walker hit the IL again at the end of June, Turnbull made one start before rekindling the injury issues that had plagued him in much of his recent past.
Unfortunately, the right lat strain that he sustained in his start against the Detroit Tigers on June 26 eventually turned out to be a possible season-ending injury for Turnbull. For someone who has now suffered major injuries in three of his past four MLB seasons, despite his brief glimpse of brilliance in the starter’s role, the Phillies will likely move on from him this offseason in search of more reliable long-term options.