Jesús Luzardo has been everything the Phillies could have hoped for since he arrived in Philadelphia. He made 32 starts last year, worked over 180 innings, and turned in a 5.4 fWAR season that made the return on trading for him look like a genius move. This year has been even better: a 2.87 ERA and 5.5 fWAR through 178.2 innings, his first career All-Star selection, and a five-year, $135 million extension in March that is keeping him in Philadelphia long-term. His last start was an exclamation point on the season, and one that fans could really get excited about rolling into October.
Luzardo threw a two-hit complete-game shutout against the Braves, one of the best single-game performances by game score anywhere in baseball this season, but it came with a trade-off. After that start, Luzardo reported discomfort in his shoulder. The Phillies scratched him from his next turn in the rotation, sent him for an MRI, and got the outcome everyone wanted to hear: inflammation, and no structural damage. That's very good news (almost every pitcher has inflammation in their shoulder) and an extreme relief at this particular moment. It's also not a green light to just pencil him back in and move on like nothing happened.
Jesús Luzardo goes the distance for the @Phillies, who have won each of his last seven starts! pic.twitter.com/Nm9kB65wP6
— MLB (@MLB) September 7, 2026
Phillies must make sure Jesús Luzardo is whole entering playoffs (following career-best start vs. Braves)
Here's what I hope Luzardo and the Phillies consider for a second. What's the reward in pushing through two or three more regular-season starts right now? Maybe there's an innings or start-count incentive buried in his contract somewhere. Maybe there's a personal milestone he's chasing. None of that comes close to outweighing the risk of a shoulder that's already barking.
With Atlanta pulling away in the division after this past weekend, Philadelphia's likely path forward runs through the Wild Card, not a division title worth mortgaging one of your ace's health to chase. The smart move is obvious: shut him down for the remainder of the regular season, let the shoulder fully calm down, and walk into October with a Luzardo who's rested and has peace of mind, instead of one who's gutting through discomfort.
The one counterargument here is the human element. Some pitchers need their routine more than they need extra rest, and Luzardo himself admitted as much, saying flatly that if it were up to him, if it were Game 7, he'd have taken the ball. That's the only scenario where I'd let him throw again before the postseason, and even then, I'd cap his pitch count and treat it as maintenance, not competition, just enough to keep his rhythm intact without actually risking anything.
If they do decide to rest him, it also allows the Phillies to manage their rotation exactly how they want for the playoff series they play in, however the final standings shake out. No matter what, Phillies fans should feel nothing but grateful this arm ended up in Philadelphia. Now let's just make sure he's healthy enough to finish the job in October when he is needed the most.
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