PHILADELPHIA – It sounds like Cristopher Sánchez's left arm is OK.
It sounds like the Phillies are kicking around the idea of a six-man rotation, too, though that seems unlikely.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson announced Tuesday afternoon that Sánchez will start Wednesday night’s game against the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. It comes eight days after Sánchez left the club's April 22 game against the Mets at Citi Field after two innings because of “soreness” in his left forearm.
The Phillies said the next day that they felt Sánchez would be OK. Sánchez’s work over the weekend at Wrigley Field confirmed that assessment. Still, forearm soreness is often a precursor to an elbow injury. So, it pays to be skeptical until Sánchez returns to the rotation and shows his typical stuff.
“He’s been fine,” Thomson said. “He’s ready to go.”
Thomson said right-hander Taijuan Walker will start on Thursday night.
The Phillies have not announced their rotation beyond that. That’s because left-hander Ranger Suárez could rejoin the rotation this weekend against the Diamondbacks. He will throw a bullpen session on Wednesday.
“Then we’ll make a decision on where he’s going,” Thomson said.
Suárez has a 1.08 ERA in four rehab starts between Single-A Clearwater and Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has said multiple times in recent weeks that Suárez is not a candidate to pitch out of the bullpen. That means the Phillies could have six healthy starters within the next few days: Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Sánchez, Suárez and Walker.
Thomson said a six-man rotation is “possibly” in play.
“We’re kind of walking through that right now,” he said.
The biggest issue would be the bullpen going from eight relievers to seven.
“It takes one of your guys out of the bullpen,” Thomson said. “And you have to have some flexibility with your bullpen arms where you can send guys down if you need an arm. Those are things we’re always talking about. All the things that can influence the decision whether to go to a six-man or not.”
Currently, the only relievers in the Phillies’ eight-man bullpen with options are right-hander Orion Kerkering and left-hander Tanner Banks.
Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter is scheduled to start on Thursday for Single-A Clearwater in Dunedin, Fla.
Painter is getting closer to a promotion to Triple-A. He will need to start facing better competition soon with the Phillies looking at him for a midsummer callup.
The Phils hope to have seven healthy and productive starters by then.