Phillies Nuggets Postseason roster crunch and wild card rotation

The Phillies Nuggets do not yet know their opponent since the San Diego Padres have not yet won the second Wild Card slot in the National League. The Phillies will go to St. Louis to play the Cardinals if the Padres, who entered play Tuesday night with a game advantage over them for the second Wild Card slot in the senior circuit, ultimately hold onto that spot. However, the Phillies do hold the advantage in tiebreakers over the Padres, thus in the event that the two teams finish tied, the Phillies will advance to either New York or Atlanta, depending on which club does not win the NL East.

Don’t worry if it all seems unclear; things will change in a few hours nonetheless.

We do know that Zack Wheeler will start Game 1 on Friday and that Game 2 will have Aaron Nola as his replacement. Interim manager Rob Thomson stated Tuesday afternoon that Ranger Suárez will get the ball in the event that Game 3 is required. Tuesday night will be Suárez’s final start of the regular season. It is anticipated that the 27-year-old would throw about four innings and/or 65 pitches in this brief appearance.

There is little assurance outside of the Wild Card Series rotation.

Whether Brad Hand (left elbow tendinitis) and Edmundo Sosa (right hamstring strain) can participate for the club depends in part on the makeup of the roster.

The Phillies will use Hand’s toss on Wednesday at Minute Maid Park to see if the 32-year-old lefty will be able to pitch significant innings this weekend. Thomson said that Hand’s bullpen session on Monday went extremely well.

At Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday, Sosa will take a live pitch. On Monday, he exerted himself fully in “everything.” In 25 games as a Phillie, Sosa hit.315 and displayed superb defence. He would be a lock on the postseason roster if all else were equal. Thomson warned that even if all reports come back positive in the coming days, Sosa isn’t guaranteed to be on the Wild Card series roster since the Phillies Nuggets must take into account the fact that he hasn’t played since September 15.

The Phillies would still have Nick Maton as a utility infielder and outfielder even if Sosa weren’t on the roster. Sosa’s likely absence might make room for Darick Hall, who won’t make the starting lineup but can make or break your season with one swing off the bench.

According to Thomson, the Phillies’ decision to assign places to pitchers on their 26-man roster will determine a large portion of the playoff roster crunch. That will depend on Hand’s condition. It just depends on how many starts the Phillies carry after Wheeler, Nola, and Suárez as to whether they carry the maximum 13 pitchers for the Wild Card series.

Noah Syndergaard “has a decent shot, Thomson responded when asked if he will be on the squad. Either Kyle Gibson or Bailey Falter would be left off the Phillies’ starting lineup for the Wild Card Series if they decide not to carry five starters. But it wouldn’t necessarily be a penalty to be left off.

Suárez would start Game 1 of the NLDS if the Phillies prevail in the Wild Card Series in two games. Falter or Gibson, though, may be asked to start Game 1 of the NLDS if it required three games to win. Wheeler may return on three days’ rest for Game 1 (which would take place on Tuesday), but he hasn’t been off the disabled list for long due to right forearm tendonitis. In addition to looking out for his health, you have to question how productive Wheeler would be right now on minimal rest.

However, it’s feasible that whichever of Falter or Gibson isn’t on the roster for the Wild Card Series serves as the backup pitcher for Game 1 of the NLDS or at a later date in the series. If one game in the Wild Card Series goes unfinished, leaving them unable to start a few days later, whoever of the two is on the roster might act as a long-man. Between the Wild Card Series and the NLDS, rosters can be changed.

Of course, if there is to be an NLDS, the Phillies Nuggets must prevail in a best-of-three series played entirely on the road. But anything may happen once the postseason begins.