The back of the Philadelphia Phillies rotation has experienced a little bit of a shake up recently following injuries to starting pitchers Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull. While Walker and Turnbull remain at the early stages of the rehab process, the Phillies have been forced to tap into some organizational depth recently to keep the five-man rotation on track.
The Phillies seemed to capture lightning in a bottle when recently promoted right-hander Micheal Mercado slid into the rotation to make his first MLB start against the Chicago Cubs on July 2. Mercardo looked impressive during his five innings of work, allowing two hits and one run while punching out four and walking two.
Mercado was less impressive in his next start against the Atlanta Braves, lasting only 1 2/3 innings, and getting blasted for five earned runs, allowing three home runs while walking three and recording only one strikeout. Manager Rob Thomson was quick to give the rookie the hook in a game that got out of hand in a hurry.
Record-breaking Phillies rookie forces his way into rotation for first career start
Needing someone to pitch bulk innings, Thomson turned to recently promoted righty Tyler Phillips to come in and eat some innings. Phillips exceeded all expectations during his four innings of relief work. After striking out the side in his debut inning, he finished by allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out seven and not allowing a walk. Phillips' stellar performance was the lone bright spot of the 6-0 loss.
Phillips entered the Phillies' team record book during his debut. His seven strikeouts became the most of any Phillies relief pitcher in an MLB debut, surpassing the previous record set 123 years ago by Bill Duggleby.
First reported by Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the 26-year-old was rewarded for his strong performance by being named the Phillies starter when the team faces the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.
Will Tyler Phillips stick in the rotation?
What does Phillips' addition to the Phillies rotation mean post-All-Star break? It can be broken down from a few different angles.
It's very possible the Phillies liked what they saw in Phillips' mound presence and want to give him a longer look while Walker and Turnbull make their way back from the IL. This would make Mercado another power right-handed arm coming out of the bullpen alongside Seranthony Domínguez and Jeff Hoffman.
There are a few other possibilities to consider. It wouldn't be surprising if the Phillies want Mercado to get back on the mound in a relief situation as soon as possible to help rebuild any confidence lost during his last start. Or maybe with the Phillies skipping Zack Wheeler's start on Sunday due to his lower back strain, they could opt to start Mercardo in his spot on Sunday against the 35-60 Oakland Athletics in the last game before the All-Star break.
Whatever the reason behind adding Tyler Phillips to the rotation this week, the Phillies seem confident in their pitching depth at the moment, and a start against the last-place A's should give Phillips a great chance to earn some MLB experience in a low-stakes atmosphere.