Phillies' Spencer Turnbull: Headed to IL with strained lat
Rotowire
The Phillies placed Turnbull (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a right lat strain.
Turnbull had to depart Wednesday's start against the Tigers with right shoulder soreness. While the pitcher downplayed the injury after the game, subsequent testing revealed a lat strain. It's not yet clear how much time Turnbull might miss, but it's certainly the type of injury that could cost the right-hander several weeks. With Taijuan Walker (finger) also still out for a while, Michael Mercado could enter the Phillies' rotation.
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Phillies' Spencer Turnbull: Expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks
Rotowire
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Thursday that he expects Turnbull (lat) to be sidelined for 6-to-8 weeks, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Turnbull suffered a right lat strain in his first start back in the Phillies' rotation Wednesday and was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday. Given the pitcher's lengthy injury history, the team will proceed with extra caution. Michael Mercado will slide into the Philadelphia rotation for now, at least until Taijuan Walker (finger) is ready.
Turnbull said after Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Tigers that he felt "a little grab" in his right shoulder during his penultimate pitch of the third inning but noted that he isn't especially concerned about the injury, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Making his first start for the Phillies since April 30 as a replacement in the rotation for Taijuan Walker (finger), Turnbull struck out two and allowed one run on one hit and two walks before leaving the game following the bottom of the third inning. The Phillies labeled his injury as a sore shoulder, but he'll undergo further testing Thursday as the team looks to get a more precise diagnosis. The upcoming tests should also help clarify whether Turnbull will be ready to go for his next turn through the rotation, which would fall next week in Chicago at Wrigley Field. Michael Mercado would likely be the next man up to enter the rotation if Turnbull needs to join Walker on the 15-day injured list.
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Phillies' Spencer Turnbull: Leaves early with sore shoulder
Rotowire
Turnbull was removed from his start in Wednesday's game against the Tigers after three innings due to a sore right shoulder, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. He struck out two and allowed one earned run on one hit and two walks before exiting the contest.
Manager Rob Thomson previously said that Turnbull was being targeted for around 70 pitches in his first start since April 30, but the right-hander lasted just 36 pitches before bowing out with the shoulder issue. Turnbull will likely be put through more thorough testing after the game as the Phillies look to determine the full extent of the injury, but he could be at risk of landing on the 15-day injured list alongside Taijuan Walker (finger), whom he had replaced in the rotation.
Phillies' Spencer Turnbull: Moving back into rotation
Rotowire
Turnbull is scheduled to join the rotation and start Wednesday against the Tigers in Detroit, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
He'll be taking over the rotation spot that previously belonged to Taijuan Walker, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with right index finger inflammation after developing what manager Rob Thomson termed as a "hot spot" on his pitching hand. Though an injury of this sort wouldn't seem to portend a lengthy absence for Walker, Turnbull could end up sticking around as the Phillies' No. 5 starter once Walker is healthy, so long as Turnbull comes close to recapturing the excellent form he displayed as a member of the rotation earlier this season. The Phillies have stated that they plan to monitor Turnbull's workload this season after he missed all of 2022 while recovering from Tommy John surgery and a large portion of 2023 due to neck discomfort, but the 31-year-old right-hander has made it difficult for the club to stick to that plan while he's performed so-so as a reliever (4.26 ERA, 14.1 K-BB% in 10 appearances) but exceptionally in his six starts (1.67 ERA, 20.5 K-BB%). His upcoming start against his former Tigers club will be his first since April 30, but Turnbull worked three scoreless innings (49 pitches) in his most recent relief outing Friday and is being targeted for around 70 pitches Wednesday, per Thomson.
