Wild Card round rosters are due tomorrow, but it sounds like the Phillies know exactly who will be included on the 26-man roster.
Manager Rob Thomson sprinkled in some hints regarding some key decisions the Phillies will make, but we don’t know:
- Who will start in left field for the Phillies in Game 1.
- Who will be the starting pitcher in Game 3.
Thomson all but confirmed one reliever’s inclusion on the roster, but other than that, all we can do is project.
With the Wild Card series against the Miami Marlins set to begin Tuesday night, here’s one final Phillies playoff roster projection.
Pitching Staff: LHP José Alvarado, RHP Seranthony DomÃnguez, RHP Jeff Hoffman, RHP Orion Kerkering, RHP Craig Kimbrel, RHP Michael Lorenzen, RHP Aaron Nola, LHP Cristopher Sánchez, LHP Gregory Soto, LHP Matt Strahm, LHP Ranger Suárez, RHP Taijuan Walker and RHP Zack Wheeler
Thomson said prior to Monday’s pre-series workout that the Phillies will use rookie Orion Kerkering as a “leverage guy.”
“He’s shown me enough stuff to be one of our top right handers coming out of our bullpen,” Thomson said. “He’s another guy who hasn’t even quivered yet since he’s been here. We’ll see what happens in the next couple days, but I have complete faith in him.”
Putting together the Phillies’ pitching staff is a relatively simple exercise. Kerkering will take the 13th spot on the playoff roster, essentially replacing Dylan Covey, who was placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday with low back pain. Since Kerkering was in the organization, but not on the 40-man roster by Aug. 31, the Phillies have to petition to get him on the roster by designating him as a replacement for an injured player. That player is likely Rhys Hoskins, who has a chance to return if the Phillies make the World Series.
It will be interesting to see how Thomson deploys every pitcher not named Zack Wheeler or Aaron Nola. Ranger Suárez could very well be the third starter, but the Phillies are open to using him out of the bullpen prior to Game 3. The same goes with Cristopher Sánchez. Both are expected to sit in the bullpen for Games 1 and 2.
Maybe the Phillies win in two or lose in two and this debate is rendered useless, but the Phillies will have quite the decision to make if the series goes to a Game 3 and Sánchez and Suárez are both used out of the ‘pen.
Depending on who is available, they absolutely can bullpen their way through Game 3. (The Marlins would likely do the same thing.) But do the Phillies trust Taijuan Walker enough to have him throw bulk innings in a win-or-go-home Game 3?
Seranthony DomÃnguez, Craig Kimbrel, Gregory Soto and Michael Lorenzen all looked great in their tuneup outings during the final weekend of the season. How Thomson deploys them in the Wild Card series will say a lot about who has his trust and who doesn’t.
Hitters: INF Alec Bohm, OF Nick Castellanos, INF/DH Bryce Harper, OF Brandon Marsh, OF Cristian Pache, C J.T. Realmuto, OF Johan Rojas, OF/DH Kyle Schwarber, INF Edmundo Sosa, INF Bryson Stott, C Garrett Stubbs, INF Trea Turner and OF Weston Wilson
The Marlins could have as many as seven left-handed pitchers on their 13-man pitching staff, so the Phillies will likely go with a righty heavy bench.
Game 1 starter Jesus Luzardo and Game 2 starter Braxton Garrett are lefties, so it’s very likely the Phillies could keep Brandon Marsh on the bench and go with either Cristian Pache or Weston Wilson in left field. Marsh has only been in the lineup 18 times this season against a left-handed starter. Luzardo and Garrett both have a .600 OPS against left-handed batters.
The Marlins have the pitching staff capable of neutralizing the Phillies’ left-handed boppers. But Marlins manager Skip Schumaker also pointed out that the Phillies lefty batters are dangerous against same-handed pitching.
No other team in baseball has hit more home runs from the left-hand side against lefty pitchers than the Phillies this season.
“You’re looking at those lefties, though, they’re really good,” Schumaker said. “… I mean Schwarber and Stott, they got guys up and down the lineup that hit lefties well. But you know, our lefties have been really good all year. We’re gonna lean on our bullpen. Our bullpen has been excellent all year. I don’t see any reason why we would go away from them in this three-game series.”
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