The Phillies bullpen is reeling. Zach Eflin and Garrett Stubbs were the only “relievers” to not allow an earned run in Tuesday’s brutal loss to the Blue Jays. Connor Brogdon, Seranthony DomÃnguez and David Robertson all look off in one way or another. At least José Alvarado hasn’t allowed a hit all month.
Anticipating the possibility that the Phillies could have a pitching shortage later in the month, the Phillies called up 23-year-old prospect Griff McGarry to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on September 5. It was a test to see if he can be counted on in the major league bullpen down the stretch. So far in Triple-A Lehigh Valley, McGarry has allowed four earned runs in six innings over four appearances.
He’s currently at 85 1/3 innings pitched this season. It’s a number that could go higher. Andrew Painter and Mick Abel are at 103 2/3 and 108 1/3 innings respectively.
The Phillies need somebody to step up, but it’s unlikely McGarry will get the chance. Interim manager Rob Thomson called him “an emergency policy.”
“In case we run into injuries, things like that,” Thomson said. “Because of the blister and because we needed depth out of the bullpen, that’s why we moved him out there. Sounds like he’s transitioned very well.”
Could good performance get him to the big leagues? The public message for now is probably not.
“You never say no, I guess, but, I think that’s not really probable,” Thomson said. “I’d think that be a reach, but he’s pitched very well.”
In eight games (seven starts) with Double A, McGarry dominated to the tune of a 2.20 ERA in 32 2/3 innings. He appeared on Baseball America’s Top 100 midseason prospect list and is part of the Phillies’ formidable trio of top pitching prospects with Painter and Abel. Team officials have indicated that all three will get an invite to major league spring training next year and compete for a roster spot.
Of the three, McGarry was always the logical choice to bring up towards the end of the 2022 season. Coming out of the draft, he was seen as a guy that could be fast-tracked to the majors if he lowered his walk rate. The Phillies like him as a starter, but bringing up a top prospect first as a reliever is not unprecedented. The Braves’ Spencer Strider pitched out of the bullpen during Atlanta’s final regular season series last season and now he’s a likely Rookie of the Year finalist as a starter, even after beginning the year in the bullpen.
Could the Phillies change their mind next week? Maybe, especially if the bullpen continues to struggle and the team is on the outside looking in as far as playoff positioning goes. What’s not an emergency this week might constitute as one next week in Chicago. For now, the Phillies would rather live with what they have than see what the near future could look like.
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