Zach Eflin’s seamless transition to a reliever comes at the perfect time for the Phillies

Rehabbing a knee injury, Eflin had plenty of time to prepare mentally for a new role and set himself up for success.

Phillies pitcher Zach Eflin hasn't allowed a run in 5⅔ innings of relief work in September.Read moreSTEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer

Published Sept. 27, 2022, 11:00 a.m. ET

Zach Eflin spent 78 days rehabbing a right knee bruise, and most of those nights, he’d lie awake in bed, envisioning himself in different situations. Eflin, 28, has spent the majority of his seven-year career with the Phillies as a starting pitcher, but as July turned to August, and August turned to September, he knew it would be more realistic for him to return as a reliever. So he started to take mental steps to get there.

Eflin, who had 13 starts this season for the Phillies and 115 in his career, thought about what his pre-outing routine would look like coming out of the bullpen. He thought about how he would pitch in a one-run game, or a tie game, and how he’d control his emotions in those high-pressure situations. He thought about how he’d slow his heartbeat down in a jam. When the Phillies approached him about three weeks ago with the idea of a return as a reliever, Eflin already had envisioned every scenario, inning by inning, pitch by pitch. Seventy-eight nights is a lot of time to think.

After lulling himself to sleep with wishful thinking about a September return, Eflin woke up every morning unsure of how his right knee would respond that day. He has been placed on the injured list nine times in his career. He has undergone surgery on both knees, and twice on his right knee. Earlier in his rehab, Eflin, who has a mutual option with the Phillies in 2023 for $15 million, was just hopeful he’d be able to return at all.

Which makes what he’s done for the Phillies all the more impressive. Eflin was activated Sept. 12, and since then he has yet to allow an earned run in 5⅔ innings. Interim manger Rob Thomson has thrown him into all sorts of situations — the sixth inning, eighth inning, low leverage, high leverage — and, in turn, Eflin has given the Phillies something they’ve desperately needed: strikes.

Eflin hasn’t thrown more than 15 pitches in any of his outings. Of the 61 pitches he’s thrown, 47 have been strikes. He has yet to walk a batter in September going into Tuesday night’s game against the Cubs.

“It’s not always easy to come in and pitch to contact,” reliever David Robertson said of Eflin. “He’s got a very good sinker and very good command of his fastball. To be able to come in and throw strikes right out of the gate is impressive. It’s a nice weapon to have.”

Eflin’s emergence as a dominant late-inning arm comes at the perfect time for the Phillies. The bullpen has looked more fatigued of late, and the list of relievers Thomson truly can count on seems to be dwindling.

Eflin’s transition has been seamless for multiple reasons.

He has worked tirelessly in his rehab. He has leaned on some of the more veteran relievers, like Robertson, to learn how to get ready for an outing with less notice and time at his disposal. He has called upon his experience pitching out of the bullpen briefly in 2019. But Eflin said a big reason why he has appeared so calm, even in high-leverage spots, is because of those nights he spent visualizing himself on the mound.

“I didn’t know what my role would be if I got back and when I got back,” Eflin said. “And I finally got to a point where I was healthy and ready to go, so I kind of just jumped into the fire. Thankfully, I took that time to visualize it and be prepared. Now, I feel comfortable in any situation.”

The transition isn’t over yet. Eflin still is learning how to prepare for an outing without the 30 minutes to get loose that he’s used to. He still is learning how to attack hitters quickly with his best stuff. And, of course, the Phillies still haven’t clinched a playoff spot, and Eflin undoubtedly is going to be a factor in whether they do or don’t.

But so far, he feels equipped to get there, thanks to those mental steps he took long ago.

“I think it’s a little early to say it’s been a success,” Eflin said. “We’ve got pretty big goals in this clubhouse. I wouldn’t call it success. I would call it maybe a part of the story, or maybe just a good start.”