With one week remaining in the regular season, the Philadelphia Phillies got more good news from the infirmary this week. They can use all the positive vibes they can get right now as they battle with the New York Mets at Citi Field this weekend to clinch the NL East.
Not only that, the Phillies are also in a tight race at the top of the National League standings with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers. From recent reports, it sounds like the team could be getting one of the players they were banking on helping them in the second half back from a long stay on the injured list.
Phillies News: Austin Hays return date, Spencer Turnbull timeline, Taijuan Walker
Outfielder Austin Hays, who at one point looked doubtful to play in a regular season game again this year, has suddenly turned a corner in his recovery from a kidney infection that has kept him on the IL since Sept. 2. Hays is scheduled to play two rehab games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this weekend and could be activated as early as Tuesday, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Alex Coffey, Hays felt good after his full workout (subscription required) with the team before their game on Thursday.
“I feel strong again,” Hays said, per Coffey. “I feel fast. I feel like myself. Today was the first time we put it all together: Touching the bags, rounding the bases, slowing down, stopping. Everything felt really good."
Hays was the front office's "big" outfield get at the trade deadline, so the Phillies will surely do everything possible to get him ready to play and on the roster in October. Since playing his first game in red pinstripes on July 27, Hays has made 69 plate appearances. After batting .263 with a .677 OPS, a home run and a couple of stolen bases in his first 10 games, he spent just over two weeks on the IL with a hamstring injury. He hit .241 with a .611 OPS in nine games before being felled by the infection.
Spencer Turnbull continues to progress toward possible postseason return
Right-hander Spencer Turnbull, who you may have completely forgotten about at this point, is working at the team's Clearwater complex. He recently threw a live batting practice session, reaching 64 pitches, according to MLB.com.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that they want Turnbull to get in a simulated game this weekend, or make an appearance with Lehigh Valley. There's still no certain timeline for his return, but the postseason still remains a possibility.
Turnbull had a phenomenal start to his season while filling in for Taijuan Walker in the rotation. He posted a 1.67 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings over six starts. In 19 relief innings, Turnbull had a 4.26 ERA. He landed on the IL in late June with a right lat strain and has been trying to get back ever since.
Taijuan Walker's return to the rotation went as horribly as everyone expected
Taijuan Walker got yet another chance in the Phillies rotation against the Mets on Thursday. It went horribly.
He pitched 3 1/3 innings and surrendered a career-high four home runs as New York ran away with a 10-6 win, keeping the Phillies from securing their playoff spot. He finished with eight runs on six hits and walked three while striking out just two.
"It hasn't been a good year for me ... I've been working hard and doing everything I need to do, and the results just aren't coming for me right now," Walker said postgame, in what might be the biggest understatement of the season. "... I'm just not doing a good job right now."
"It hasn't been a good year for me."
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) September 20, 2024
A deflated Taijuan Walker chats about his recent start and his 2024 season. pic.twitter.com/3SuPQyXMKc
The Mets absolutely crushed his pitches. The average exit velocity against his 15 sweepers was 100.2 mph, with a max of 113.2 mph on Mark Vientos' first-inning home run. The average exit velocity on his 71 pitches in the disastrous outing was 93.2 mph.
The fifth rotation spot will come around once more this season. Whether Thomson is brave enough to return to Walker again — in front of the home crowd at CBP — remains to be seen. According to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, the Phillies skipper declined to say if he plans to start the beleaguered veteran on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.