Amy Fadool, Ricky Bottalico and Ruben Amaro Jr. preview the Phillies’ second series with the defending champion Braves in the 2022 MLB season.
As if the loss of Bryce Harper for an extended period of time doesn't present enough of a challenge for the Phillies, the team will also have to deal with the absence of a key member of the starting pitching rotation for at least the next two weeks.
After dealing with right knee soreness for the last three starts, Zach Eflin was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday.
"I'm going through some soreness," the right-hander said. "It's pretty tough to deliver a pitch."
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Left-hander Bailey Falter will take Eflin's place in the rotation and start Friday night against St. Louis. The Phillies will have to make a move to clear a spot for Falter on the roster before that start. Outfielder Oscar Mercado, claimed off waivers from Cleveland on Monday, was added to the roster in Eflin's spot Tuesday.
There is no official timetable for Eflin's return, but the pitcher sounded confident he could be back shortly after his time on the IL is complete.
"We're going to take five to seven days off and let it calm down," Eflin said. "Every fifth day is just kind of bringing (the soreness) back so the thought process is let it calm down and be back to 100 percent as opposed to dealing with it for 10 or 15 starts. This is the right decision. Instead of grinding through 10 or 15 starts, get it out of the way so I'll be good to go the rest of the way."
Eflin's confidence for a quick recovery stems from the results of an MRI he had Monday. The MRI, he said, showed no structural damage in the knee, especially to the patellar tendon, which he had surgically repaired in September. This current injury, he said, is a bruise to the "fat pad" under the kneecap. Eflin sustained the injury when he twisted his knee making a fielding play June 9 in Milwaukee.
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While Harper's broken thumb -- he'll have surgery Wednesday and plans to return for the final month or so of the season -- is a crushing blow for the Phillies, the loss of Eflin for any amount of time is significant. The starting rotation is one of the strengths of the team and there is a drop-off in experience and quality after the fifth spot. Falter has made three starts for the Phillies this season and allowed 14 hits and six earned runs in 12⅔ innings. He has given up three homers, walked four and struck out 10.
Manager Rob Thomson would not speculate how long Eflin would be out.
"We have to get the irritation and pain out of there," he said. "Once the pain is gone, we'll start ramping him back up, but who knows how long the pain will take to get out of there."
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