Injuries to key players loom large with a road trip around the corner for the Phillies

The Phillies have gone 43-38 over the first half of the 2022 season despite a number of injuries. They’re missing 40% of their starting rotation (Ranger Suárez and Zach Eflin), their starting second baseman, Jean Segura, infielders Johan Camargo and Nick Maton, and a number of relievers to injured list stints. Right-handed reliever Connor Brogdon, who had been one of interim manager Rob Thomson’s most reliable arms, was placed on the COVID-19-related injured list on June 25.

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The Phillies likely are about to get even more short-staffed as they embark on a nine-game road trip that will take them to Canada (where coronavirus vaccination is required to enter the country) to face the Toronto Blue Jays. Thomson said Wednesday that he will address his team’s vaccination status on the first leg of that road trip, in St. Louis, but conceded that not having a full ballclub is not ideal.

“People are going to make their own choices,” Thomson said. “You’ve got to respect that.”

Luckily for Thomson, he expects to see some of his injured players back sooner rather than later. Here are a few injury updates:

Brogdon played catch on Wednesday during Thomson’s media availability. Assuming it went well, he will head to triple-A Lehigh Valley for at least one outing. After he tested positive for COVID-19, Brogdon was quarantined in a hotel for eight days. He threw a baseball into a pillow to keep his arm in shape. How much time he’ll need in Lehigh Valley is up in the air.

There is no immediate plan for Eflin to throw off a mound anytime soon. Eflin was placed on the 15-day injured list on June 28 (retroactive to June 26) with a right knee bruise. He was set to play catch on Wednesday and do some agility work. Thomson said that Eflin would get out to 120 feet on Wednesday, and they’ll reevaluate him Thursday.

Thomson said that he doesn’t know if the pain is “all the way out” of Eflin’s knee, but it is “a lot better.”

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There are a number of relievers on the Phillies’ 60-day injured list, including Ryan Sherriff, JoJo Romero, Kent Emanuel, and Sam Coonrod, and they’re progressing in their respective rehab assignments. Sherriff was set to pitch 1⅓ innings Wednesday night in Lehigh Valley. Emanuel, who is being stretched out as a starter, was set to throw 90 pitches Wednesday for the IronPigs. Romero will pitch Thursday.

Thomson said the tentative plan is to use Emanuel out of the rotation rather than in long relief, even though he can do both. The recent injuries to Suárez (low back spams) and Eflin have put a spotlight on the Phillies’ lack of starting pitching depth, and Emanuel, who went six innings and allowed one earned run in his last start on June 30, should help with that.