Phillies will start Turnbull again in Anaheim, so what? originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia
SAN DIEGO — Whether it’s because they haven’t made a definitive decision yet or just chose to wait until it’s absolutely necessary to clarify it, the Phillies have been coy about how they’ll use Spencer Turnbull beyond their next series.
Turnbull will make another start Tuesday in Anaheim. The Phillies will use a six-man rotation this week.
Monday at Anjos: Christopher Sanchez
Tuesday at Anjos: Spencer Turnbull
Wednesday at Anjos:Zack Wheeler
Thursday: Off
Friday against Giants: Aaron Nola
Saturday x Giants: Ranger Suárez
Sunday against Giants: Taijuan Walker
The Phils have not described what will happen to Turnbull after Tuesday’s start. Manager Rob Thomson said Saturday, the day before Walker’s season debut, that using a six-player rotation after Wednesday would not be ideal because the Phillies are off back-to-back Thursdays, the 2nd and 9th of May. he said.
The Phillies play 19 games in 20 days after the second Thursday off, so even if Turnbull is moved to the bullpen after Tuesday, he could start sometimes from May 10-29.
Turnbull has never been a long man and said in spring training that he still wasn’t sure how to stay in that role. Thomson said this weekend that is indeed a concern.
Turnbull pitched so well, however, that sending him to Triple A to remain a starter would seem odd at this point. Mainly because the Phillies still need a long relief after assigning Ricardo Pinto to Sunday’s assignment to activate Pinto.
An ideal scenario for them would be Turnbull moving to the bullpen but still having the opportunity to pitch three or four innings once a week so he can throw down at least five when called upon next.
Make no mistake, this is a good problem for the Phillies. When they signed Turnbull to a one-year contract worth $2 million, they would have loved to know that two months later they would be in a position where his superior performance would create a difficult decision.
In the 12 games leading up to Sunday, Phillies starting pitchers had a 1.21 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP. That included one run in 12 innings from Turnbull, who has a 1.33 ERA and a .137 opponent batting average.
“My job is as easy now as it has ever been with our pitching staff,” JT Realmuto said Sunday. “These guys are so good, it’s a lot of fun to work with them. Just being able to manipulate lineups and do different things with hitters. We’re taking on some really good hitters and making them look silly more often than most teams would be able to.” . It is very fun.
