The Philadelphia Phillies Must Call Up Griff McGarry

In the midst of a postseason push, the Philadelphia Phillies are facing every Major League team's worst nightmare: losing key players to injury.

Almost as soon as the club gained back Bryce Harper and Jean Segura, they lost Seranthony Domínguez, Zack Wheeler, and Nick Castellanos.

Losing Castellanos is worrisome, but Philadelphia reportedly considers the injury to his oblique as "mild," and are hopeful he returns after a stint on the 10-day injured list. However, being down your best starting pitcher and most reliable reliever is dreadful. Wheeler was set to return this week and start on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins, but faced a setback in his rehab.

Luckily, Domínguez is scheduled to throw to hitters Tuesday afternoon, along with starter Zach Eflin, who hasn't pitched with the Phillies since June 25. If all goes well, both could begin rehab assignments and return to the team as September dwindles down.

The Phillies' rotation could certainly use any help it can get, as Wheeler's absence has been felt. Phillies' pitching combined to allow 50 runs during their West Coast trip, with Aaron Nola, Noah Syndergaard, Kyle Gibson, and Ranger Suárez lasting just 17 2/3 innings in five total starts. That's an average of barely 3 2/3 innings per start.

Bailey Falter was the bright spot of the rotation last week, tossing 6 1/3 innings in the lone win of Philadelphia's road trip.

It's a cry for help, one that top pitching prospect Griff McGarry may be able to remedy. McGarry recently made the shift to the bullpen with Double-A Reading, where he threw two scoreless innings, striking out four and walking one. This was the first relief appearance of his professional career, as the 23-year-old was drafted and brought up through the system as a starter.

On Monday, the Phillies promoted the 2021 fifth rounder to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, begging the question: could his arrival to the Majors come at some point this month? McGarry began the 2022 season with High-A Jersey Shore, exceeding expectations and showcasing a level of talent almost unparalleled in the Phillies' system.

Overall, McGarry has pitched to a 3.18 ERA across two levels this season, striking out batters at a 13.7 clip in 79 1/3 innings of work. One area of concern is his command. Despite a distinct improvement, his BB/9 of 5.0 is still troubling. Even so, the University of Virginia product still boasts the nastiest stuff in the Phillies' farm, hence his fast-track through the minor leagues in 2022.

It's likely that Philadelphia would slot McGarry into the bullpen should he be called up, but with Wheeler's continued absence, anything is possible. Unfortunately, if McGarry were to be promoted, the right-hander could not pitch in the postseason, barring one unforeseen circumstance.

Inside the Phillies' Leo Morgenstern pointed out that there may be a loophole to get McGarry some postseason action, should it reach that point, as players added to the 40-man roster after Aug. 31 are usually unable to compete in the playoffs.

Griff McGarry isn’t eligible for the playoffs because he wasn’t on the 40-man by August 31

However, if the Phillies aren’t at full health, it seems they can ask to roster him. It’s a solid backup if, say, Wheeler or Domínguez is out longer than expected (god forbid)

@PhilliesSI pic.twitter.com/RRRBJOBOxv
— Leo Morgenstern (@morgensternmlb) September 5, 2022

Although the panic button hasn't been hit just yet, Philadelphia's dismal performance on the road left fans with a bad taste in their mouth. Could another September collapse be upon us? Perhaps, but maybe this Phillies team really is different. Either way, the club must do everything in their power to remain in contention.

If the Phillies believe that he is ready to face Major League competition following his bout in Triple-A, giving Griff McGarry the call is the wise option.

With a fatigued rotation and lacking strong long-relief options, he would be the perfect fit to aid the Phillies down the stretch as they look to finally end their postseason drought.

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