Kolby Allard
The Phillies took a chance with former first-round pick Kolby Allard when they signed him to a one-year deal in the offseason to shore up their pitching depth. After struggling with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start the year, Allard gradually settled himself in to become a viable option for Philadelphia as the year progressed. In the end, he got the call from the Phillies, and he has done a respectable job in the time he has been up with the club.
In his first four appearances, Allard compiled a solid 2-0 record with a 3.50 ERA, along with 13 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched. However, one caveat was the fact that when he did give up hits, he was hit hard, with opposing batters hitting at a .310 clip with five home runs in those 18 innings. After a sub-par outing against the New York Mets on Sept. 14, Allard was relegated to the bullpen where he has made two relief appearances.
Overall, he sports a 5.00 ERA and 1.56 WHIP with 23 strikeouts in 27 innings of work over seven games. Allard won’t be in the running for a spot in the Phillies’ playoff rotation, so if he does end up securing a spot, it will be in the bullpen. That is probably the main reason why he has been moved into that role for the final few days of the season, to gauge how he performs under such situations and determine if he deserves a spot for Red October.