Matt Strahm understands Phillies’ hesitance to push the innings envelope and make him a starter again

NEW YORK — When the Phillies removed Matt Strahm from the rotation a few weeks ago despite a lingering problem in the No. 5 starter spot, the veteran lefty had a predictable reaction.

“As a competitor,” Strahm said Tuesday before the opener of a three-game series against the Mets, “from that standpoint and just wearing this jersey, I was like, ‘Yo, let me keep starting because it’s going good.’”

Indeed, it was. Strahm had a 3.38 ERA and was the Phillies’ most consistent starter in seven turns through the rotation. But he also hasn’t been a full-time starter — or pitched more than 45 innings in a season — since 2019.

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The Phillies could’ve pushed the limits with Strahm and left him in the rotation, especially after Bailey Falter took his 0-7 record and 5.13 ERA to triple A. Instead, they prioritized the long game. They need Strahm to get meaningful outs in September as much as May, so they returned him to the bullpen.

Strahm understood. He has taken a turn on the injured list in each of the last seven seasons. And when the Phillies invested a two-year, $15 million contract in Strahm in the offseason, they intended to use him in a relief role.

Team officials insist the door hasn’t been slammed on Strahm reentering the rotation as a full-fledged starter. But it feels like a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option, when everything else has been exhausted.

Strahm said manager Rob Thomson and pitching coach Caleb Cotham haven’t clarified his exact role, other than that they want him available to pitch high-leverage innings through the end of the season. He has already thrown 37⅓ innings, nearly equaling his total of 44⅓ last season with the Red Sox.

“It was basically, ‘Hey, we’re essentially getting into the water that is uncharted. We don’t know what you’re going to be able to do or how long you’re going to be able to do it, but we know we want you to do it at the end, so we need to kind of be cautious right now,’” Strahm said. “Whether that means I’m going to be a starter again, I don’t know. But I also know I’m very effective out of the bullpen. I just want to win.”

The fifth-starter spot comes around again Saturday in Washington. Thomson said he’s unsure who will pitch against the Nationals.

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Dylan Covey didn’t survive the first inning Sunday night in Atlanta and will be available out of the bullpen Wednesday, according to Thomson. It’s possible the Phillies will use an opener, with Covey as a bulk reliever. Or maybe they will call up lefty Cristopher Sánchez, who tossed six scoreless innings Sunday as a bulk reliever at triple-A Lehigh Valley.

As usual, Strahm’s hand will be raised, not that it will influence the choice this week or in the near future. If anything, Strahm takes the Phillies’ hesitation to push him as flattery.

“It’s definitely a compliment,” he said. “Being in the game as long as I have, you see the business side of it. For them to step back from that and say, ‘Look, this probably isn’t the best thing for his health,’ it carries weight with me, for sure. From a competitive standpoint, it’s frustrating. But it’s understandable.

“I get my injury history. I get my innings history; I get all that. And I lean on [the team] a lot to know what’s good for me. Because I don’t know what’s good for me. I’m just here to compete. I’ll throw 140 pitches in one night if they let me.”

With a day off Monday, Thomson said the Phillies realized a rare opportunity to give Bryce Harper a two-day breather. They gave him the choice of sitting out Sunday night in Atlanta or the series opener in New York. He chose the latter.

“It was scheduled out,” Thomson said of keeping Harper out of the lineup against Mets starter Kodai Senga.

Harper started 23 consecutive games in a span of 27 days after coming back from Tommy John elbow surgery.

» READ MORE: Who needs pitching? Everyone, it seems, and there are no easy answers for the Phillies.

José Alvarado will face hitters Wednesday in live batting practice, the precursor to a minor league assignment. The hard-throwing lefty hasn’t pitched since May 7 because of elbow inflammation.

In Alvarado’s absence, Craig Kimbrel has been the primary closer and gone 4-for-4 in save opportunities with a 2.95 ERA in eight appearances.

First baseman Darick Hall (thumb) and catcher Rafael Marchán (hand) began minor league assignments at low-A Clearwater. Both players can be optioned to triple A after the maximum 20-day assignment. ... The Phillies signed reliever Jacob Barnes to a minor league contract and sent him to Lehigh Valley. Barnes, 33, has a 4.70 ERA in 252 major league games with seven teams, most recently the Tigers and Yankees last season. ... Triple-A outfielder Jake Cave, who began the season with the Phillies but got sent down when Harper returned from the injured list, was named International League player of the week. He went 9-for-19 with five doubles, three homers, and seven RBIs in six games. ... Aaron Nola (4-3, 4.59 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday night against Mets right-hander Carlos Carrasco (1-2, 6.75).