Philadelphia Phillies Optimistic Zach Eflin Could Return this Season

According to manager Rob Thomson, there is optimism within the Philadelphia Phillies organization that right-handed pitcher Zach Eflin could return before the 2022 season is out.

Eflin, who has dealt with knee troubles all season and for most of his career, landed on the injured list for the third time this season on June 28 with what was labeled a right knee bruise. He's not seen any sort of game action since.

It's a shame, as the 29-year-old pending free agent was in the midst of a solid season, posting a 4.37 ERA across 68.0 frames of work. His peripherals were promising as well: Eflin's xERA was a full 0.87 lower than his ERA at 3.50, and he was walking batters at an absurdly low 1.99 rate-per-nine.

There's some optimism around Zach Eflin possibly returning this season. He could throw a bullpen session this week. There's little time to build him up as a starter, so he would likely come back as a bullpen arm. He's going on the west coast trip with the team.
— Destiny Lugardo (@destiny_lugardo) August 28, 2022

An extra arm would be a big help in any regard for the Phillies, as their bullpen has been taxed of late due to the losses of Seranthony Domínguez and Corey Knebel. Their rotation also took a hit, with Zack Wheeler landing on the injured list earlier this week.

There has been no indication as to what Eflin's role might be when/if he returns, but the likelihood is that he slots into the rotation behind the likes of Kyle Gibson and Noah Syndergaard, who have both posted solid results of late. Eflin's presence would give the Phillies the option to run a six-man rotation, or even just spot start him when needed to give their other arms some much-needed rest as the team prepares for a postseason run.

Should he take the mound again this season, Zach Eflin would be a welcome addition to the Phillies already substantial pitching depth, which has received surprisingly solid contributions already from southpaws Bailey Falter and Cristopher Sánchez.

On a personal level, it would be nice for the homegrown product, who the Phillies acquired in exchange for Jimmy Rollins in 2016, to have at least one swan song outing prior to his departure to the open market this winter.

More From SI's Inside The Phillies:

Make sure to follow Inside the Phillies on Substack and Twitter!