Note how the Phillies have been careful not to make any definitive statements about Turnbull’s immediate future. He sat in the bullpen Sunday night for the first time and, for now, he will be a multi-inning reliever. Thomson has tossed around different ideas — piggybacking, high-leverage reliever, alternating starts with Cristopher Sánchez — and it’s dizzying. But the Phillies are not trying to reinvent things. They just do not want to apply a label to Turnbull, knowing that the situation can and will change.
Turnbull pitched well enough — a 1.67 ERA over 32 1/3 innings — to keep starting. He will probably start again at some point. The Phillies are simply exercising their right to play the long game with Sánchez, Walker and Turnbull. The Phillies hope to have about 98 games total started by Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Ranger Suárez. That leaves 64 to spread across the other starters. Games in August are just as important as ones in May.
The Phillies believe that by playing the long game, Turnbull could have more value later when they need another starter — either because of injury or ineffectiveness.
This is one benefit of a 24-11 start to the season.
“He wants to start,” Thomson said. “But he said at the end of the day, he’ll do anything to help the team win games.”
That means, for now, three-inning appearances as a reliever. The Phillies will attempt to keep him stretched out even while in the bullpen. It will be a challenge but not impossible. Turnbull has a routine and he’s never been a reliever.
“There’s always concern when you do something like that,” Thomson said. “That’s why it’s a tough decision.”
It could backfire. The Phillies chose the path of least resistance by bumping Turnbull to the bullpen, the role they envisioned for him in the spring.
He will have another chance at starting in 2024. Right?
“I think everyone knows he did an amazing job,” Walker said. “He’s going to be back in the rotation at some point probably. It’s very rare to go through a long season with just five starters. So, he did a heck of a job, and we’re going to need him.”
Rob Thomson clapped his hands together Sunday night before he asked for the baseball from Taijuan Walker. No fifth starter in baseball commands attention like Walker does, so the mistakes are magnified. Thomson again pushed Walker into the seventh inning and, for the second time in two starts, Walker surrendered a home run.
The Phillies are 2-0 in those games.
“I really wanted to finish that one, especially after the last start,” Walker said following a 5-4 Phillies win over the Giants. “I really wanted it. But I feel like my location was really good. All my pitches.”
It was good enough. The Phillies squeezed Walker back into their rotation because he’s in the second year of a $72 million contract but also because they believe he can be an effective innings eater. He did not pitch in the postseason last year. He was upset about it.
The Phillies have hoped that a little competition created by Spencer Turnbull’s surprising performances would motivate Walker.
That remains to be seen. He was solid Sunday night. The Giants made some loud contact — especially early in the game — but Walker struck out seven and walked one. He pitched at 91 mph for most of the night. He made it work.
“He mixed his pitches,” Thomson, the Phillies manager, said. “For the most part, he threw strikes. He was pretty much 90-92. So, hopefully, there’s a little bit more velo there as time goes on.”
Walker has looked like … a fifth starter. The Phillies expected more when they signed him. They are not yet evaluating him on a start-to-start basis. If Walker keeps the Phillies in games, he will continue to start. If he doesn’t, his replacement is waiting.
Will Thomson at least have more pause pushing Walker into the seventh inning next time?
“No,” Thomson said. “It just depends on what I’m seeing. It was pretty efficient. His pitch count was in pretty good shape.”
The manager won’t say it out loud, but one byproduct of Walker’s diminished stuff is that it makes it harder to navigate an opposing lineup three times. The Phillies could treat Walker more like a No. 5 starter in the coming weeks.
J.T. Realmuto, the new No. 2 hitter
In the immediate aftermath of Trea Turner’s six-week absence, Thomson had two decisions to make. He’ll give Edmundo Sosa the first crack at manning shortstop. But there were fewer choices to replace Turner in Thomson’s lineup as the No. 2 hitter.
It has to be a right-handed batter who slots between Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. It wouldn’t be Sosa or Johan Rojas. Nick Castellanos hasn’t produced yet. Alec Bohm has hit so well with runners in scoring position and it did not make sense to disrupt what he’s done in the cleanup spot.
That left Realmuto, who had not hit second since April 14, 2022.
Realmuto has hit fourth or fifth most of this season. He was tasked with providing power there. But hitting No. 2 places a greater emphasis on getting on base ahead of Harper and Bohm. Last season, Realmuto posted a .310 on-base percentage — his lowest since his rookie season. He entered Saturday’s game, his first at No. 2 in the order, with a .288 on-base percentage.
“I think it could suit him if he’s having good at-bats,” Thomson said. “But I don’t think he’s going to change his approach.”
Realmuto saw 24 pitches on Saturday, his second-most in a game this season. Then, on Sunday, Realmuto took a more aggressive approach. He lashed three singles and scored a run.
He raised his OPS by 54 points in two days.
“Really good,” Thomson said. “Maybe that two spot’s hot. He’s been really good. He’s using the field, not chasing and putting good at-bats together.”
Realmuto is not the hitter he once was, but he remains productive. The Phillies are again testing the limits of how much a catcher can play; Realmuto has started 30 of the club’s first 35 games. It’ll be even harder to remove him from the lineup while Turner is out because there is no one else to bat second.
Spencer Turnbull, a multi-inning reliever … for now
Phillies starting pitcher Tijaun Walker leaves the game - May 5th 2024 - Kyle Ross / USA Today
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