Phillies call-up still sinking in for Michael Mercado: ‘It’s a real privilege’

Michael Mercado was in the clubhouse in Lehigh Valley on Saturday night when his dream came true.

The 25-year-old pitcher was scheduled to throw off the mound for the Phillies’ triple-A affiliate on Sunday, but IronPigs manager Anthony Contreras called him with a proposal.

“We’ve got something going on kind of early at the field,” Contreras told him. “So you might have to get here early for your bullpen.

“Or, you can go up and throw it at Citizens Bank.”

» READ MORE: Michael Mercado is ready for any role should the Phillies need pitching help from Lehigh Valley

It wasn’t much of a decision for Mercado, whose goal was to make his big-league debut this season after turning some heads in the spring. The promotion to the Phillies’ 26-man roster finally came when Taijuan Walker was moved to the 15-day injured list with right index finger inflammation.

“I was a little speechless,” Mercado said. “It’s been a long time. And I know that I deserve it. But you’re never really ready for it. And I’ve been surrounded by so many good teammates and coaches over the years and my family has been super supportive. So it’s just really exciting.”

Though Mercado has made 10 starts this season at Lehigh Valley, the Phillies plan to use him out of the bullpen at first. Spencer Turnbull will take over Walker’s next scheduled start on Wednesday against the Tigers.

While Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Mercado is available to make his debut right away, the team is hoping to find the right situation for him. During Sunday’s 4-1 win over Arizona, José Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman were the only bullpen arms used, since both were on several days’ rest and Thomson wanted to get them some work.

“Hopefully, we’ll get him into a little bit lower leverage to start with, see how he does,” Thomson said.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound right-hander boasts a fastball, spike curveball, split-changeup, and cutter in his arsenal, which has helped him to a 1.71 ERA across 47⅓ innings in triple-A this season. He was initially drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays out of high school in 2017 and was acquired by the Phillies in November.

“I’ve been surrounded by a lot of good coaches,” he said. “I got great tutelage from [Phillies pitching coaches] Caleb [Cotham] and [Brian Kaplan] in spring training, and then going to triple A and working with the coaches there, they’ve really helped.”

It’s also an opportunity for the Phillies to get a good look at a pitcher they think could be an important part of their future. Thomson stopped by Mercado’s locker in the clubhouse on Sunday morning to congratulate him.

“It’s always exciting for me when a guy first comes up to the big leagues, especially a young guy,” Thomson said. “And he’s really talented. He’s had a good year. He’s got a great arm. He’s a really good kid. So I’m excited for him.”

» READ MORE: Phillies place Taijuan Walker on injured list; Spencer Turnbull moves back into the rotation

Mercado’s first call after learning the news was to his parents, and he said they’ll likely meet him in Detroit during the Phillies’ next series.

“My dad was like, ‘You’re joking, right?’ I was like, ‘No, this is not a prank call,’” Mercado said.

Mercado still had an early start on Sunday — even if it didn’t involve throwing a bullpen for the IronPigs — since his first day in the big leagues happened to coincide with the earliest game ever at Citizens Bank Park, an 11:35 a.m. start against the Diamondbacks. In less than 24 hours, Mercado found himself in another clubhouse, running on about four hours of sleep after packing up all his things and driving to Philadelphia.

“It’s been really fun,” Mercado said. “Getting a chance to be in the Phillies organization as a whole is a real privilege.”

Edmundo Sosa was removed in the sixth inning of Saturday’s game with a left elbow contusion after being hit by a pitch and is listed day-to-day. Thomson said he has a “pretty good sized lump on his elbow,” but was available to play on Sunday if needed. ... Aaron Nola (8-3, 3.54 ERA) is scheduled to start in the series opener against the Tigers on Monday. ... Detroit is an hour away from Thomson’s native Sarnia, Ontario, and the Tigers were his childhood team. He said he will have “a lot of people” coming to the series.