WASHINGTON - The Philadelphia Phillies placed left-hander Jesus Luzardo on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, Sept. 15 with shoulder inflammation, manager Don Mattingly said, a blow to the club’s stretch and and, potentially, the playoffs.
Luzardo has not pitched since throwing a 109-pitch shutout against Atlanta on Sept. 7. In the wake of that start he reported discomfort and an MRI revealed inflammation.
Luzardo, 28, has arguably been the best second-half pitcher in the National League, going 8-1 with a 1.65 ERA since June 23. The Phillies are 12-2 in those starts.
In a rotation with fellow Cy Young award candidates Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler and a resurgent Aaron Nola, the loss of Luzardo would still be significant. The Phillies are battling
the Chicago Cubs for the No. 2 wild card spot and are likely to face them in the best-of-three wild card series.
While Luzardo likely won’t make it back to pitch in a regular season game, if his shoulder enables him to play catch, throw a bullpen and perhaps a simulated game in the next two weeks, that could keep him in play for the wild-card series. The NL Division Series would begin Oct. 3.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jesus Luzardo injury update: Phillies ace heads to IL with shoulder problem
