Luzardo throws bullpen in massive step toward return to Phillies rotation

PHILADELPHIA -- A crowd of Phillies players, coaches and staff watched Jesús Luzardo pitch in the bullpen on Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.

Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series is Tuesday, so Luzardo’s return from inflammation in his left shoulder is the team’s most important storyline at the moment, other than formally clinching a postseason berth, of course. The Phillies could clinch on Thursday night with a victory over Milwaukee and a Padres loss in Los Angeles. Assuming the Phillies clinch, whether it’s Thursday night or this weekend, they want Luzardo on the postseason roster.

It sounds like he will be.

Luzardo hasn’t pitched since Sept. 7, but after playing catch for four consecutive days, he threw about 30 pitches in the bullpen on Thursday. It went well.

“Everything feels really good,” Luzardo said. “I feel like normal.”

Luzardo described the bullpen as a typical session he would have preparing for a start.

“He's feeling good,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “He wasn't shaking his shoulder during the bullpen or anything like that.”

If Luzardo feels OK on Friday -- he called it a “big day” -- he is expected to throw a simulated game this weekend.

The Phillies have not ruled out Luzardo starting in next week’s best-of-three Wild Card Series. Zack Wheeler is lined up to start Game 1, unless they haven’t clinched on Sunday and they need him to start the regular-season finale. Cristopher Sánchez is lined up to start Game 2.

Luzardo could start a potential Game 3 next Thursday.

If Luzardo isn’t prepared to start, however, Aaron Nola could get the call. Luzardo would then pitch out of the bullpen.

“Whatever role they need me,” Luzardo said. “If they need me one inning, two innings out of the bullpen, three innings. I can start. I could be the bat boy. Whatever they ask of me, I'll do. I just want to win, so it doesn't matter.”

The Phillies would like Luzardo to start because he has been one of baseball’s best pitchers for months. He went 14-5 with a 2.87 ERA in 29 starts this season. He had a 1.70 ERA in his final 16 starts, winning NL Pitcher of the Month honors in August (1.31 ERA in five starts).

He could finish in the top three for the NL Cy Young Award.

Of course, any time a player misses time there are concerns about rust. Mattingly said it’s a consideration, but then compared the situation to a hitter who has played most of the season before missing a few weeks at the end.

“I’ve got 580 [at-bats] under my belt, it’s not like I’m walking into Spring Training,” he said.

Luzardo feels the same way.

“Six days off [from] throwing,” he said. “I already had 180 innings and built up to 100 pitches. So yeah, I think six days off, I don't think it creates that much rust.”