Phillies: Velasquez out with injury, Henderson Alvarez in as replacement

Up and down Phillies pitcher Vince Velasquez is out for the season, and the team has already signed his replacement.

In an injury that started a domino effect of events, Phillies starter Vince Velasquez will miss the rest of the season and undergo surgery on his middle finger. Velasquez lasted just one inning in his last start, capping off a disappointing season.

Velasquez finishes the year with a 2-7 record and a horrendous 5.13 ERA in 72.0 innings pitched. His tenure as a Phillies starter has gone south since his stellar first few starts in the 2016 season.

Velasquez was set to make his 16th start in today’s second leg of the doubleheader, but will be replaced by Nick Pivetta. The Phillies also called up Yacksel Rios from Lehigh Valley to bolster the bullpen. Rios is just 24-years old, and has split time between Reading and Lehigh Valley.

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Rios has appeared in 13 games, with one start to his record in Lehigh Valley. He has posted an 0-1 record with a 1.96 ERA in 18.1 innings pitched. Rios could be a nice little pick me up for a Phillies team that has failed to see much good this year.

In another move to find gold in the last few months of the year, the Phillies will sign Henderson Alvarez, who appeared last with the Miami Marlins in 2015. Alvarez is just 27-years old, but has failed to find a home in the Majors. He played 7-games with the semi-professional Long Island Ducks.

Alvarez was once a promising pitcher, earning himself an All-Star appearance in 2014 at the age of 24. He followed that up with an 0-4 record in 2015, until he suffered a devastating right shoulder injury that he never truly recovered from.

This Velasquez injury now gives Alvarez a chance, even if it’s a minor league chance, to prove that he still has talent to reach the big leagues.

As for Velasquez, the Phillies must be wondering if he’ll ever be healthy. And if he were to find stability in health, will he ever be consistent enough to remain a key rotation pitcher? The early signs show no, but the 25-year old still has potential regardless.

This one injury could greatly impact the careers of three men. Velasquez will try to bounce back to his early Phillies form. Rios will try to make the most of his late-season call up. And Henderson Alvarez will attempt to make an improbable comeback.

Next: Phillies approach failing thus far

The Phillies had a busy day today. Minor moves could end up having major payoffs down the line.