The Phillies are adjusting their starting rotation for this weekend's series in St. Louis. Zack Wheeler will move ahead of Kyle Gibson to start Friday and Gibson will start Saturday.
Wheeler, who last pitched on Sunday night, will be on regular rest because of Monday's off-day. Gibson will start Saturday on an extra day of rest.
This would put Wheeler in line to start Wednesday in the Phillies' second and final game in Toronto. It is unclear who will start Tuesday in the series opener against the Blue Jays, with manager Rob Thomson saying he'll discuss it in more detail in St. Louis.
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With Canada's COVID-19 vaccination policy, unvaccinated players are placed on MLB's restricted list when visiting Toronto, likely a factor in the Phillies' rotation shakeup.
"For a couple of reasons, one I'll get into once we get to St. Louis," Thomson said when asked about moving Wheeler ahead of Gibson. "But also, Gibby's had a couple of tough outings here and it gives him one more day so instead of five days rest, it gives him six days. And it lines him up for Miami and he's really pitched well against them, I think his last start was eight innings, one run."
Sunday's Phillies starter is TBD. It is left-hander Cristopher Sanchez' day to pitch and he will appear in that game, Thomson said, but it sounds like the Phils will use an opener to attempt to counter the right-handed bats of Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. Aaron Nola will start the finale of the wraparound series on Monday.
Injured starting pitchers Zach Eflin and Ranger Suarez will travel with the Phillies on their 10-day, nine-game road trip to St. Louis, Toronto and Miami. Eflin (right knee bruise) is first eligible to return from the injured list on July 11, the final game of the Cardinals series. Suarez is first eligible on July 15, the first game of the Marlins series.
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Eflin "did a little touch and feel in the bullpen" on Thursday and then did some fielding work. "It went very well, he felt good," according to Thomson.
Suarez was set to play catch Thursday. "Get out to 60 feet and see how he feels," Thomson said. "He's making some progress."
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