Entering the postseason, the Philadelphia Phillies will have some challenging decisions to make on their starting rotation. When healthy, the Phillies' rotation has been one of the best in baseball over the past few years.
Unfortunately, Aaron Nola hasn't thrown the baseball at the level he was expected to, and Zack Wheeler will be out for the remainder of the campaign. It's something the Phillies will have to factor in moving forward, but they still have other decent arms who could play a factor for them.
That includes left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who, despite having an excellent first half, has slowed down at times when it matters most in the second half.
Will Jesus Luzardo be a Phillies starter in the playoffs?
Speaking with The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, Luzardo admitted that having a spot in the rotation in the postseason is something that he has a goal of achieving.
"It would be amazing for me," Luzardo stated. "I've always said whatever they need from me, I'll do, whether it's a bullpen or a starting job. But I feel like it would be awesome to be a part of that and to get a start in the postseason."
However, according to Gelb, Phillies skipper Rob Thomson hasn't committed to a postseason rotation yet, which means that Luzardo might not be one of the pitchers that gets an opportunity
“Phillies manager Rob Thomson would not commit to a postseason rotation; the Phillies have said the specific matchup could be a factor. But the club is fully leaning toward using its three left-handed starters — Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Jesús Luzardo — as the rotation for the NLDS. It could be in that order. Sánchez and Luzardo are hard throwers, and Suárez is not. It could be beneficial to stick Suárez in the middle as a change of pace,” he wrote.
There's time to figure things out, and even if Luzardo isn't a starter in the postseason, that doesn't mean he can't have a positive impact.