Philadelphia Phillies: Zack Wheeler reinstated, Sam Coonrod optioned
The Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff become a major question mark as the season begins to wind down. Both the rotation and the bullpen have struggled leading to the team’s annual September collapse but, with the team’s latest reinforcement, the tides may now be turning.
Ahead of tonight’s matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Philadelphia Phillies have announced that star pitcher Zack Wheeler (11-7, 3.07 ERA) has been activated. In a related move, Sam Coonrod (0-0, 7.82 ERA) has been optioned to AAA.
The Phillies have reinstated RHP Zack Wheeler from the 15-day IL and optioned RHP Sam Coonrod to Lehigh Valley (AAA).
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 21, 2022
It’s hard to say which move will have more of a positive impact for the Phillies. Okay, that’s a bit rough but the rotation is clearly better with Wheeler, as the bullpen is better without Coonrod.
The Philadelphia Phillies have received a key reinforcement down the stretch.
Despite losing five straight games, the Phillies still hold a 2.5 game lead for the final Wild Card spot over the Milwaukee Brewers. With an upcoming four-game series against the Atlanta Braves, the team will need all the help they can get over the remaining 15 games, begining tonight as Wheeler takes the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Wheeler will be brought along slowly in order to prepare for the postseason but considering how Kyle Gibson and Noah Syndergaard have performed, no matter in what capacity Wheeler contributes, the team is better off.
As is the case again for regarding the optioning of Sam Coonrod. His demotion is unfortunate but clearly a necessity as well. Since returning to the Phillies from a stint on the injured list, the Phillies’ reliever has posted a 7.82 ERA. That’s bad enough, but it gets worse.
Since the beginning of September, Coonrod has an ERA of 15.97, that is beyond unacceptable for a pitcher on a hopeful contender.
There’s no real knowledge of whether or not this is the end of Coonrod and the Phillies, but for the 2022 season, it’s probably safe to say that he is done. Time to focus for next season.
Next. Should the team keep Rhys Hoskins? Or is it time to move on?. dark
Hopefully, the Philadelphia Phillies will be able to refocus on making a postseason push.