Rotation's recent brush with injuries highlights Phillies' luck in first half

The dominance of the Philadelphia Phillies starting rotation has been well documented since the start of the season, and with three members of the rotation recently selected to be members of the NL All-Star team, it was the latest reminder to the entire baseball world that the Phillies are a complete team that will likely pose a tough challenge for MLB squads who are unlucky enough to face them when October rolls around.

The Phillies currently own the distinction of being the best team in MLB with a record of 63-36 and a healthy 8.5-game lead over the second-place Atlanta Braves in the NL East. This is a team that has come a long way since last year when they were looking up at the Braves and the Marlins in the standings for an extended period last summer.

There's no way the Phillies would be where they are heading into the final days of July if it weren't for a starting rotation that has stood on its head nearly all season long. In total, four Phillies starters, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, and Ranger Suárez, have made 77 starts between them. In those starts, the Phillies have a record of 38-17, with three out of four of those pitchers currently boasting ERAs south of 3.00. Can we expect more of the same production the rest of the way?

Rotation's recent brush with injuries highlights Phillies' luck in first half

While No. 5 starters Taijuan Walker (right index finger) and Spencer Turnbull (right lat strain) have spent considerable time on the IL this season, the rest of the Phillies rotation had a remarkable stretch of health before minor injuries caused Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suárez to miss their final starts before the All-Star break last weekend. With Wheeler and Suárez both experiencing moderate back pain, manager Rob Thomson decided to err on the side of caution and skip the pair of All-Stars in the series against the Athletics.

Speaking to the media prior to Friday night's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Thomson gave a positive update on Wheeler and Suárez. Declaring both healthy and ready to make their next starts, it was revealed that Suárez will make his return on Monday night in the series opener against the Minnesota Twins, and Wheeler will take the mound on Tuesday evening in the second game of the series.

While the Phillies rotation is close to returning to full strength next week, the same can't be said for fellow NL East rivals like the Braves and Marlins. The Braves got bad news in April when Spencer Strider was lost for the season after undergoing surgery to repair UCL damage in his left pitching elbow. The Marlins season was over before it even started following the loss of 2022 Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcántara and promising right-hander Eury Pérez to Tommy John surgery,

With just over two and a half months remaining in the season, the Phillies will be fortunate if luck remains on their side when it comes to the starting rotation's health. It's been said that pitching wins championships, and with fellow contenders like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles currently down key rotation pieces and exploring options on the trade market, the Phillies will hope to carry a healthy starting rotation into October and beyond.