J.P. Crawford, Jerad Eickhoff and Pedro Florimon getting healthier, nearing returns

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Three Phillies injury updates ahead of Wall of Fame night:

SP Jerad Eickhoff

Eickhoff will start tonight for the Class A Clearwater Threshers and pitch two innings. It will be his first game action since May 20 when he started for the IronPigs.

Eickhoff has been out all season, initially with a right lat strain and lately because of lingering numbness in his fingers. 

The Phillies' rotation is solidified but there could be opportunities for Eickhoff in September, provided he's healthy. The Phils could find strategic ways to start Eickhoff while giving their young starting pitchers an extra day.

"If Jerad comes back healthy and strong, we're going to look for ways to get him on the field in September," manager Gabe Kapler said Saturday. "If it happens faster than that ... right now we're in early August. We could see this progressing fast. If it does and he's feeling strong and there's a way for us to incorporate him, we will."

SS/3B J.P. Crawford

Crawford has been out since June 19 with a broken hand. The injury carried a 4-to-6-week timetable and Crawford is just past the 6-week mark.

He could be back in the majors by the middle of next week.

Crawford will play nine innings at shortstop Saturday night, then have an off-day Sunday before playing back-to-back nine-inning games on Monday and Tuesday. The Phillies will then reassess and decide where he plays next.

Crawford has hit .194/.312/.333 in 112 plate appearances this season. His injury came at an unfortunate time because he was finally starting to settle in at the bottom of the Phillies' order. Crawford reached base 13 times in 29 plate appearances (.448 OBP) before breaking the hand on a hit by pitch.

Utilityman Pedro Florimon

A broken foot caused Florimon to land on the DL at the end of May. He ran the bases Saturday, however, and looked "awesome," according to Kapler.

When the Phillies head out West following this series against the Marlins, Florimon will travel to Florida where he'll begin a rehab assignment.

Getting Florimon back will be nice for the Phillies. He's a better defender at shortstop than either Scott Kingery or Asdrubal Cabrera. Let's just hope the Phils don't play it cautious and stop pitching him in blowouts.

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