PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies have had ample time to ponder their postseason roster in the liminal space between clinching a playoff spot and waiting to clinch the National League East. The decisions awaiting Rob Thomson and the front office are, luckily, few.
Austin Hays went through a workout Monday at Citizens Bank Park ahead of the series opener with the Chicago Cubs. The Phillies could decide on his status as soon as Tuesday.
Hays went 2-for-9 over two games in a rehab assignment with Lehigh Valley as he works back from a kidney ailment. He could be activated as soon as Tuesday.
Hays, acquired at the trade deadline from Baltimore as a right-handed weapon against lefties, would be on the playoff roster if healthy. His value would come down to which team the Phillies have to play and when, as well as how quickly he can get up to speed in the batter’s box.
If the standings hold and the Phillies avoid the Wild Card round by finishing second, then they would get the Brewers or a Wild Card qualifier. The Brewers don’t have a left-handed starter, and their lefties have thrown the eighth-fewest innings in baseball this year.
Hays is 17-for-67 (.254) in 19 games as a Phillie. The club had only scant windows to establish a platoon between Hays and Brandon Marsh in left field, or with Hays in left full-time and Marsh platooning with Johan Rojas in center.
Marsh is hitting .309 since the middle of August. Both run hot and cold, as Rojas’ 4-for-43 in the postseason last year indicates.
The other outstanding injury concern is Spencer Turnbull. Out since late June with shoulder soreness, he threw two innings Sunday for Lehigh Valley. He gave up two runs and two hits, but Thomson was pleased with the outcome.
“He’s good,” Thomson said. “He touched the 94. For the most part, he threw strikes. He gave up the home run. But he got through two innings. That’s good.”
The next step is to get Turnbull to throw live batting practice on Friday, where they can push him to three installments to mimic three innings.
Turnbull was outstanding to start the season, going 3-0 with a 2.65 ERA in 54.1 innings over 17 appearances (seven starts, 10 relief). While the one-time top prospect has shown his arm can’t hold up for a long season, he can be effective in short stretches. If the Phillies get him back, they have an important long relief option, someone who can take down multiple high-leverage innings in a playoff situation.
NOTES >> The fifth starter spot that Turnbull vacated has been a disaster since, such that Thomson didn’t have an answer as to who would get the next crack at it Tuesday, opposite the Cubs’ Justin Steere. Taijuan Walker, Kolby Allard and Tyler Gilbert are the less-than-inspiring options. … Kyle Schwarber’s third-inning home run gave him a second straight 100-RBI season. He’s the 22nd player in franchise history with multiple such seasons. … Cristopher Sanchez (11-9, 3.25) will start Wednesday’s game at 6:05. He’ll be opposed by Javier Assad (7-5, 3.34).
