Overview
- Interim manager Don Mattingly confirmed late Friday that Luzardo was scratched for Saturday after he had trouble getting loose in a touch-and-feel bullpen session.
- The team described the issue as left-shoulder stiffness and chose a cautious approach by not placing Luzardo on the injured list while they re-evaluate him over the next few days.
- Philadelphia will use an opener and a bullpen plan for Saturday’s game, a move driven partly by the Phillies using multiple relievers in an 11-inning loss the night before.
- The club’s depth behind its five-man rotation is limited because the Phillies did not add another starter at the trade deadline, meaning a missed turn by Luzardo would likely require a 40-man roster move or extended bullpen use.
- Luzardo has been one of the team’s best pitchers recently, including a recent complete-game shutout, so the team says it hopes he can return next week while warning that a lingering shoulder problem would be a serious setback for their postseason chances.