The Philadelphia Phillies are closing in on another postseason appearance, and their recent victory over the New York Mets pushed their magic number down to just three. With October approaching, Philadelphia is beginning to think beyond simply securing a playoff spot and toward how it can build a roster capable of making a deep run.
One of the biggest questions surrounding the club involves Jesús Luzardo.
Luzardo has been one of the most important pieces of Philadelphia’s pitching staff throughout the 2026 season. Unfortunately for the Phillies, the All-Star left-hander is currently sidelined with inflammation in his throwing shoulder after initially being scratched from a start because of shoulder stiffness. An MRI did not reveal structural damage, which provided some encouraging news, but the timing of the injury remains problematic with the postseason rapidly approaching. (MLB.com)
Luzardo was eventually placed on the 15-day injured list, meaning he will miss the remainder of the regular season. Philadelphia has not ruled him out for October, and Luzardo himself remains confident that he can return in time for the postseason. Still, there is an obvious question about what kind of role he could realistically handle after missing valuable time on the mound. (MLB.com)
That uncertainty could lead the Phillies to consider an unconventional solution.
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Rather than immediately putting Luzardo back into the starting rotation, Philadelphia could potentially benefit from using him as a postseason weapon out of the bullpen.
The idea makes sense because the Phillies already have several capable starting options. Zack Wheeler remains a major part of their October plans, while Cristopher Sánchez has given the club a strong season overall. Aaron Nola also provides another experienced option, although his 2026 campaign has been much more uneven than Luzardo’s. Andrew Painter could also factor into the pitching plan depending on how Philadelphia chooses to structure its postseason staff.
Luzardo, meanwhile, has already established himself as one of the team’s most dominant starters.
Through 29 starts, the 28-year-old went 14-5 with a 2.87 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP and 221 strikeouts over 178 2/3 innings. He was particularly impressive during the second half, becoming one of the most dependable pitchers in the Phillies’ rotation. MLB noted that Luzardo had posted a 1.93 ERA since May 14, highlighting just how dominant he had been for much of the season. (MLB.com)
That production is precisely why his injury creates such a difficult dilemma.
If Luzardo returns, expecting him to immediately reproduce the form that made him one of Philadelphia’s best pitchers could be unrealistic. He will have gone a significant period without appearing in a competitive game, and there will be little room for a traditional ramp-up period once the playoffs begin. Luzardo himself acknowledged that some rust could be expected after time away from the mound. (MLB.com)
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A bullpen assignment could potentially provide Philadelphia with a way to maximize what Luzardo can offer without asking him to immediately throw 90 to 100 pitches.
The Phillies’ relief corps has been one of the team’s biggest concerns throughout the season. While Jhoan Duran has provided Philadelphia with an established option at the back end of games, the club has experienced considerable inconsistency elsewhere. MLB reported that Philadelphia’s bullpen entered the stretch run with a 4.31 ERA and 23 blown saves in 63 opportunities, illustrating why additional help could be valuable in October. (Reuters)
That is where Luzardo could potentially become especially interesting.
If his shoulder allows him to pitch, the Phillies could potentially deploy him for shorter outings rather than immediately placing him into a traditional starting role. A healthy Luzardo working two or three innings in a high-leverage situation could give Philadelphia another formidable option between its starters and closer.
There is also a strategic possibility involving a hybrid role.
Philadelphia could use Luzardo as a starter early in a postseason series and then make him available out of the bullpen later. MLB recently highlighted the possibility of Luzardo starting a Wild Card game and potentially becoming a bullpen option afterward. (MLB.com)
Of course, none of that matters unless Luzardo’s shoulder is healthy enough for him to pitch.
The Phillies have already demonstrated that they are willing to be cautious with their star left-hander. Luzardo’s MRI showed inflammation but no structural damage, and he said he was feeling considerably better after receiving treatment. The organization is clearly focused on getting him healthy rather than rushing him back for a few regular-season starts. (MLB.com)
That caution could ultimately benefit Philadelphia in October.
The rotation has enough depth to absorb Luzardo’s absence, at least to some degree. Wheeler, Sánchez and the rest of the pitching staff give the Phillies several paths to construct their playoff rotation. The bullpen, however, presents a more obvious weakness.
That makes Luzardo’s potential return particularly intriguing.
The Phillies do not necessarily need him to be the same pitcher who dominated opposing hitters for most of the season. If his shoulder is healthy and he can provide even a shortened version of that performance, he could give Philadelphia another powerful postseason weapon.
For now, the priority remains getting Luzardo healthy. Once October arrives, the Phillies will have to determine whether his best contribution comes from the rotation, the bullpen, or some combination of both.
With Philadelphia heading toward another postseason appearance, that decision could become one of the team’s most important pitching questions.
Jesús Luzardo’s shoulder injury may force the Phillies to use him as fireman with the season on the line
Jesús Luzardo’s shoulder injury has created an uncomfortable situation for the Philadelphia Phillies, but it could also open the door to an unconventional postseason role that might help solve one of the team’s biggest problems.
Luzardo was placed on the 15-day injured list because of inflammation in his left shoulder after being scratched from a scheduled start. The injury forced Philadelphia to rethink its rotation plans at a crucial point in the season. While the Phillies remain hopeful that their All-Star left-hander can return for the playoffs, there is no guarantee that he will be ready to immediately resume his normal workload as a starting pitcher.
That is where a move to the bullpen could become particularly intriguing.
If Luzardo is healthy enough to pitch during the Wild Card Series, Philadelphia may have little reason to immediately ask him to throw a full starter’s workload. Instead, the club could ease him back into competitive action by using him in shorter appearances.
There is already some precedent for the idea. Luzardo has experience pitching out of the bullpen, having made 16 relief appearances during his major league career. That experience could make a transition back to relief work considerably more natural than it would be for a pitcher who has spent his entire career working exclusively as a starter.
More importantly, Philadelphia desperately needs dependable options in the bullpen.
The Phillies have been searching for answers behind closer Jhoan Duran, who remains one of the team’s most trusted late-inning arms. Orion Kerkering was recently optioned to Triple-A after a difficult stretch, while several other relievers have struggled to provide consistent results. MLB reported that the Phillies were still working through their bullpen situation with the postseason approaching.
Adding Luzardo to that group, assuming he is healthy, could dramatically change the possibilities.
Rather than asking him to navigate five or six innings immediately after returning from a shoulder problem, the Phillies could deploy him selectively. He could enter during the middle innings when an opposing lineup is threatening, face a difficult pocket of hitters, or potentially take on several outs in a high-leverage situation.
That type of role would allow Philadelphia to take advantage of Luzardo’s ability without necessarily placing the same physical demands on his arm that come with starting.
His repertoire also makes him an interesting candidate for such a role. Luzardo’s fastball and breaking pitches have allowed him to miss bats at a high rate, and his slider can be particularly difficult for opposing hitters. If the Phillies could bring him into a game with runners on base and dangerous hitters coming to the plate, he could potentially serve as the kind of emergency weapon teams value enormously during October.
It would not be the traditional way to use a pitcher who has been one of the team’s best starters.
Before the injury, Luzardo was having a remarkable season. He went 14-5 with a 2.87 ERA and 221 strikeouts over 178 1/3 innings across 29 starts. He also threw a complete-game shutout against Atlanta shortly before the shoulder issue surfaced.
Those numbers explain why Philadelphia originally viewed him as a potential Game 1 option for the postseason.
However, the circumstances have changed.
The Phillies have enough starting pitching to potentially survive without Luzardo occupying a traditional rotation spot. Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sánchez remain central pieces of the postseason rotation, while Aaron Nola has provided another experienced option. Andrew Painter has also emerged as a potential piece of Philadelphia’s October pitching plans after showing significant improvement since returning to the majors.
That gives Philadelphia some flexibility.
If Luzardo cannot handle a full start, the team does not necessarily have to leave him off the postseason roster. Instead, it could find a specialized role for him.
The concept would be similar to having a versatile postseason weapon capable of being deployed whenever the game reaches a critical point. Luzardo would not necessarily need to pitch every day or throw multiple innings every appearance. The goal would be to maximize his effectiveness while limiting the workload placed on a shoulder that has only recently recovered.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and interim manager Don Mattingly have both indicated that Luzardo could potentially start or relieve during the postseason. The organization is keeping both possibilities open while monitoring his recovery.
Ultimately, Luzardo’s health will determine everything.
Philadelphia cannot afford to rush him back simply because the bullpen needs help. Shoulder injuries require caution, and the priority has to be making sure he can pitch without putting himself at greater risk.
But if Luzardo is cleared to return and cannot realistically handle a starter’s workload, the bullpen could provide the Phillies with an intriguing alternative.
A pitcher who spent most of the season looking like an ace could suddenly become an October fireman, entering games when the pressure is highest and attempting to shut down an opposing rally.
It may not have been the plan when the season began, but given Luzardo’s injury and Philadelphia’s bullpen concerns, an unexpected role could ultimately give the Phillies another weapon when the games matter most.
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