The Philadelphia Phillies are starting Jesús Luzardo in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday.
Luzardo missed a chunk of time after his last start, which was coincidentally against the Braves, with a shoulder injury. The team activated him for Game 162, and he threw four pitches. With just one day of rest, he is starting, but manager Don Mattingly said he is really more of an opener.
What does the decision to start Luzardo really mean? For one, it means the Phillies are ready to unload the bullpen in the first game of the series. It also means that they are going into the postseason without their pitching lined up for a deep run.
Mattingly admitted that the team does not know what to expect in terms of length from Luzardo. He could end up giving them a longer-than-expected outing as an opener, or he could run out of gas in two innings, and then Mattingly would hand the ball to Andrew Painter most likely.
The fact that the Phillies did not clinch until Game 162 is clearly coming back to bite them. Luzardo was arguably the Phillies' best pitcher in the second half before his injury, but they are suddenly forced into a corner and have to start him in what may not be a traditional start. The Phillies, unlike other teams, did not get a chance to line up their starting pitching because every game was a must-win.
Cristopher Sánchez went on Friday and is scheduled to take the ball in Game 2, but the Phillies may end up playing this series without Zack Wheeler making a start. He pitched on Sunday, and even if he makes himself available for Game 3 in some capacity, it would be on just three days of rest.
Looking ahead, if Wheeler is used in Game 3, the next series would be starting after just one day of rest. Despite having such a deep rotation, using Luzardo as an opener in Game 1 is an indication that the Phillies face an uphill battle in October.