PHILADELPHIA — From afar, Spencer Turnbull had an idea of what he was missing this summer in Philadelphia. It informed his determination to get back.
When Turnbull felt pain in his shoulder after a June 26 start in Detroit, his mind quickly turned to the postseason: How long he would have to rest the injury, of which he’s had a history, and how long he might need to build back up.
With a setback in August, the idea of being stretched out as a starter vanished. Instead, the 32-year-old shifted focus on a solitary point: What has to happen for me to be part of a playoff run?
“We mapped out the days I had left at that point, and I was like, alright, it’s not trying to get back for the regular season anymore,” Turnbull said Tuesday. “Just make sure you’re fully ready for the postseason. We shifted focus there.”
Turnbull still has work to do in that department after pitching an inning in a simulated game Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park, trying to earn a spot on the roster when the National League Division Series starts.
Turnbull was hoping to pitch two or three innings. He ended up going one, manager Rob Thomson reported via Zoom. His fastball touched 92, and his command was “erratic,” Thomson said, offering an assessment that, “he was fine.”
That’s probably not enough to convince Thomson that he can be a valuable piece in a five-game series.
Wednesday was only the second time Turnbull has faced live hitters, having returned for two innings in the final Lehigh Valley game of the season on Sept. 22. He’s thrown bullpens and live batting practice, but not enough to regain the sharpness he had early in the season, when he posted a 2.65 ERA over 54.1 innings and 17 outings (seven starts).
“He hasn’t really pitched all that much right now,” Thomson cautioned. “So he, in my opinion, still needs a little bit of work, but you never know.”
A fully healthy Turnbull has the potential to be valuable, though that’s not what the Phillies have at the moment.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski said Tuesday that the Phillies are leaning toward 14 pitchers and 12 position players for the five-game series against either Milwaukee or the New York Mets. With the four starters locked in plus seven relievers, including Tanner Banks as a third lefty and Jose Ruiz as the lowest-leverage righty, that leaves one spot to provide length in a pinch.
The options are dire.
Taijuan Walker, who didn’t pitch last postseason, has a 10.38 ERA in his last five outings since being pulled from the starting rotation and a 7.10 ERA in 83.2 innings. Kolby Allard has a 5.00 ERA in 27 innings. Max Lazar and Nick Nelson, who is not on the 40-man roster, were the others in the taxi squad. So is Tyler Gilbert (3.24 ERA in 8.1 innings), who was optioned on the last day of the season and cannot be included for the DS unless there’s an injury.
Dombrowski emphasized the need for that last pitcher to be a multi-inning option.
“It’ll probably be somebody that has to pitch more than one inning,” he said. “I don’t know if you consider that length, but the other thing will be, who’s thrown the ball well for us? There’s a few pitchers under consideration.”
If Turnbull had been effective, that could’ve been him.
Turnbull said Tuesday that he felt healthy and sharp, and that he was trying not to put too much emphasis on the sim game as an audition. Even if he doesn’t make the NLDS roster, progress in his rehab could make him an NLCS option, especially if the Phillies go with 13 pitchers for the longer series.
Thomson didn’t tip his hand on the identity of that last spot, other than in suggesting it might not be Turnbull.
“I think that last spot in the bullpen is truly dependent on who we play,” Thomson said. “New York is heavy right-handed. Milwaukee has really good balance. We’ll just have to put our heads together once we get there.”
