PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies continue to say good things about Jesús Luzardo's recovery from left shoulder inflammation, but they stopped short of saying when he might throw off a mound again.
Luzardo played catch on Monday and Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said before Tuesday night’s series opener against Milwaukee that Luzardo has “been good.”
Luzardo experienced shoulder soreness after tossing a two-hit shutout on Sept. 7 against the Braves. Following an MRI exam in Atlanta on Sept. 11, Luzardo and the Phillies thought then that he might be able to pitch last week. Instead, he was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sept. 15. He is eligible to be activated from the IL on Sunday, which is the final day of the regular season.
Whether Luzardo is or isn’t activated on Sunday, the Phillies said he could pitch in the NL Wild Card Series, which begins on Sept. 29. The team said starting and relieving are both on the table for Luzardo in the postseason.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” Mattingly said.
Luzardo threw from 120 feet on Monday, “so he’s got to let it go,” Mattingly said.
Mattingly didn’t say when Luzardo might throw off the mound. He said it will depend on how he continues to feel.
“He feels good every day,” Mattingly said. “He hasn't come back with any kind of inflammation or lack of range or anything like that. So it's been good.”
Right-hander Jonathan Bowlan continues to throw. He has been sidelined since Thursday with a mild right groin strain. At the very least, the Phillies hope Bowlan could be back in time for the Wild Card Series.
Right-hander Gage Wood (No. 1 Phillies prospect, No. 30 prospect in MLB) was never in play for a big league promotion, but the organization this week placed him on the developmental list, despite Double-A Reading playing in the Eastern League Championship Series.
Wood is healthy, but he won’t pitch again because he reached his innings limit. He tossed 100 innings this season: 95 regular-season innings between Single-A Clearwater and Reading, plus four innings in last week’s playoff game against Hartford and one inning in the All-Star Futures Game in July at Citizens Bank Park.
Wood had pitched only 39 2/3 innings last year between the University of Arkansas and Clearwater.