The Philadelphia Phillies sent their fifth starter to the injured list on Thursday, and a promising rookie is about to get a career-changing opportunity in Philadelphia’s rotation.
Spencer Turnbull is headed to the IL with a right lat strain after prematurely leaving Wednesday’s game 36 pitches into his start at Comerica Park.
When Turnbull grabbed the back of his right shoulder after dealing a curveball in the third inning, something seemed off. Now it has come to light that Turnbull is going to miss six to eight weeks, according to a report from Paul Casella of MLB.com.
To replace Turnbull at the back end of the rotation, the Phillies will turn to rookie Michael Mercado, who arrived in Philadelphia last November in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Since acquiring Mercado, the Phillies have been impressed with his strong performances for Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs but have also continually wondered whether Mercado is a starter or a reliever.
The 25-year-old Mercado — Philadelphia’s No. 30 prospect — recently made two starts in June for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he’s had a 1.71 ERA this season in 14 appearances, including 10 starts.
Mercado’s Major League Baseball debut came on Monday versus Detroit, in which he appeared out of the bullpen for Philadelphia and delivered a 1-2-3 inning.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson has expressed confidence in Mercado’s talent. "He's got a great arm," Thomson said on Thursday, per Casella’s report. "Power stuff. He spins the ball really well and he throws strikes. He's had a really good year at Triple-A and the one inning he threw in Detroit, he was really poised."
If Mercado can deliver as a starter for Philadelphia, it would be a case of the rich getting richer for the Phillies’ staff, which has been elite all season thanks to the work of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez, and Cristopher Sánchez.
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