Jesús Luzardo to serve as opener in Game 1

Luzardo, who missed time with shoulder inflammation, needed just four pitches to get three groundouts in the eighth inning. They were all sinkers and they averaged 96.3 mph, which was up just a tad from his 95.8-mph average on the season. One imagines he’ll be available in some capacity for Tuesday’s Wild Card opener.

The 28-year-old southpaw will be available out of the Phillies’ bullpen for Sunday’s regular season finale against the Rays. The Phillies need a victory or a loss from the Diamondbacks in order to punch their ticket to the postseason, so they’ll certainly use any and all available bullpen arms if necessary to get that job done.

Luzardo has spent the last two weeks on the IL with shoulder inflammation. Because the D-backs lost, Sunday’s game won’t necessarily be a must-win for the Phillies, though they would clinch if they win. They’ll only fail to advance if they lose and Arizona wins.

Painter gave up five hits, walked three and struck out eight. He’s recorded 15 strikeouts over his last two starts. Assuming he doesn’t appear in the Phillies’ last three games, Painter will finish the season 3-10 with a 5.40 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 115 strikeouts in 126 2/3 innings over 23 starts and 25 appearances. His 4.25 xFIP suggests there will be better results in the future for the 23-year-old right-hander.

If Luzardo’s shoulder is feeling good, he’ll face hitters this weekend and then be included on the Wild Card roster, probably with the idea that he’s throw at least a couple of innings in a potential Game 3.

Luzardo has continued playing catch from flat ground since hitting the injured list with shoulder inflammation last week. There’s optimism that he’ll be ready to pitch in the postseason. It’s unclear how much he’ll be able to contribute from a workload standpoint, but it sounds like he’s going to be ready at some point relatively soon.

Painter struck out two in a scoreless first inning, then gave up a solo homer to Carson Benge in the second. After two more scoreless frames, Painter ran into some trouble in the fifth. A walk and a base hit put two runners on for Francisco Alvarez, who took Painter deep for a three-run blast. Painter would strike out the next three batters, then recorded the first out in the sixth before ending his day at 85 pitches with seven strikeouts. The 23-year-old right-hander will take a 5.59 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and a 107/44 K/BB ratio across 120 2/3 innings into a start against the Rays in Philadelphia on Friday.

Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly didn’t rule out the possibility that Luzardo will be ready to take the ball in the playoffs, but he’s effectively done for fantasy purposes since he won’t be eligible to be activated until the final game of the regular season. The Phillies held out hope that he would bounce back after being shut down from throwing for a couple days, but he’s not feeling 100 percent after being diagnosed with shoulder inflammation. The positive news is that an MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage and he isn’t facing an extended absence. The 28-year-old southpaw finishes the season as a top-10 fantasy starter, posting a pristine 2.87 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 221/52 K/BB ratio across 178 2/3 innings over 29 starts. Luzardo can be safely dropped in all redraft formats.

Painter gave up a run in the first inning on two hits and a sacrifice fly. He recovered with a scoreless second and went on to keep the Braves off the board for another three innings, ending his day after five with three strikeouts. He scattered six hits and four walks. The 23-year-old right-hander will take a 5.54 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and a 100/43 K/BB ratio across 115 1/3 innings into a start against the Mets in New York on Saturday.

Luzardo, scratched from Saturday’s outing because of stiffness, appears likely to face the Mets next week. He said he would have pitched against the Braves today if it was up to him, but that it “probably wouldn’t have been the smartest decision.”