Phillies trying to be extra careful with pitchers as their depth dwindles

TAMPA, Fla. — As the Phillies’ starting pitching depth continued to erode Wednesday, manager Rob Thomson begged for mercy, in a manner of speaking.

The Phillies can’t afford injuries to Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler under any circumstance, but especially with depth options Nick Nelson (hamstring) and Cristopher Sánchez (triceps) joining No. 3 starter Ranger Suárez (forearm) and top prospect Andrew Painter (elbow) in the training room with freshly diagnosed issues.

So, after Nola loosened up to face the Yankees only to sit through a 59-pitch, seven-run top of the first inning, Thomson asked the umpires if the timer that limits between-innings warmup pitches could be shut off or ignored.

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“I said, ‘This is a spring training game, and this is one of our [top] guys. We have to have some sort of leniency here,’” Thomson said. “And they said, ‘All right, we’ll do it now. But it won’t happen during the season.’ I think that’s something we’ve got to clear up.”

File it away. At present, the Phillies’ bigger issue is a dwindling number of healthy starters on the 40-man roster.

The Phillies think Suárez will be OK after feeling tenderness in his left forearm in an exhibition start for Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic. But he hasn’t started a Grapefruit League game yet. If he isn’t ready for his first turn, the rotation after Nola, Wheeler, and Taijuan Walker would consist of Bailey Falter and Michael Plassmeyer, the latter of whom hasn’t started a major league game.

And beyond them? James McArthur is the only other healthy starter on the 40-man roster — and he hasn’t pitched above double A.

The Phillies could turn to hard-throwing prospect Griff McGarry, but as Thomson noted, he isn’t on the 40-man roster. Neither is right-hander Noah Skirrow, who threw five scoreless innings Tuesday for Canada against Colombia in the WBC.

“I don’t know anything about him, and I didn’t see the game,” Thomson said. “But he’s 26 years old or something.”

Sánchez, among the primary depth starters, dealt with a sore back early in camp. His velocity dipped into the low-90s in his first Grapefruit League start Tuesday, after which he reported tightness in his triceps. He’ll be reevaluated in a few days, Thomson said.

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The Phillies intended to stretch out Nelson this spring after using him as a multi-inning reliever last year. But after a one-inning start in the Grapefruit League opener on Feb. 25, he didn’t pitch again until one inning on March 9. An MRI revealed a hamstring strain.

“It’s going to be a little bit,” Thomson said. “Other people have to step up.”

The Phillies will be extra careful to protect Nola and Wheeler, too. Nola got to 78 pitches in 3⅔ innings against the Yankees. He has two spring-training starts remaining. His next one likely will come in a controlled setting on a back field, according to Thomson.

“We have to take care of them, monitor them more often, I guess,” Thomson said of Nola and Wheeler. “But we’ve just got to keep going.”

Nola has made more starts (143) and worked more innings (871⅔, not including the playoffs) than any pitcher in baseball since 2018. As much as anyone, he knows what he must do to be ready for the season.

“Just throwing the amount of pitches today, almost 80 pitches, it’s big,” Nola said. “It takes time to get your arm conditioned, your body conditioned, and your mind conditioned for the beginning of the season. But the more you get those up and downs, you throw 100 pitches, 120 pitches, you get conditioned. That’s what I shoot for.”

Backup catcher Garrett Stubbs rejoined the team, as expected, and underwent an MRI on his right knee. The Phillies were awaiting the results but remain hopeful that the injury, sustained while Stubbs played for Israel in the WBC, isn’t serious.

Meanwhile, third-stringer Rafael Marchan — the only catcher on the 40-man roster aside from J.T. Realmuto and Stubbs — hasn’t played since March 7 because of a bruised hamate bone in his right hand that has left him unable to hit.

In Marchan’s absence and with Realmuto playing for Team USA in the WBC, nonroster catchers John Hicks and Aramis Garcia have been getting most of the starts.

Walker’s first start in the World Baseball Classic was a gem.

Pitching for Mexico in pool play, the Phillies right-hander allowed one hit and struck out eight in four scoreless innings Tuesday night against Great Britain. Walker’s mother is half Mexican.

Suárez played catch for a second consecutive day and will progress to long-tossing Thursday, according to Thomson. ... Wheeler will get his fourth Grapefruit League start at 6:05 p.m. Thursday against the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla.

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