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What Role Will Morales Play with the Phillies in 2022?

Philadelphia Phillies young relief prospect Francisco Morales made a stunning Major League debut on Monday night, but is he here to stay?

Author:
Ben Silver
May 10, 2022 6:15 PM EDT

It's hard to come out of a 9-0 victory more thrilled with a club's performance that the Philadelphia Phillies did on Monday night in Seattle. While Ranger Suárez silenced Mariner bats, Nick Castellanos, Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins all picked up three hits.

But one performance flew more under the radar. While most in the Delaware Valley were asleep early into Tuesday morning, 22-year-old Venezuelan Francisco Morales shined in his big league debut.

Few pitchers strike out the first batter they face, and fewer do so in such convincing fashion; more rare than that is the pitcher who strikes out the first two hitters of his big league career.

Morales threw 24 pitches to get six outs; in those pitches he got four swings and misses on seven total swings. That's a whiff-rate of 57%, doubling Zack Wheeler's whiff-rate in 2021.

Naturally, that's an absurdly small sample size that won't be replicated when Morales gets regular innings, but will he stay on the roster long enough to do so?

Morales was called up May 8 along with Christopher Sanchez and Connor Brogdon for the doubleheader that day. Sanchez was optioned to Lehigh Valley immediately after the game, but Morales and Brogdon have stayed on the roster to replace Zach Eflin and Zack Wheeler, both of whom have been placed on the COVID-19 injured list.

Aaron Nola will start Tuesday night for the Phillies, but it's unclear whether or not Eflin and Wheeler will be back to make their scheduled starts on Wednesday and Thursday. If they don't return, Morales and Brogdon will likely remain on the squad, but the Phillies definitely won't play two bullpen games in a row.

Someone must be added to the roster to start one of those games, whether it's Eflin, Wheeler, Bailey Falter or another option. That means one pitcher will be demoted.

Six Phillies relievers are locked into the 26-man roster: Corey Knebel, Seranthony Domínguez, José Alvarado, Brad Hand, Jeurys Familia and Nick Nelson. That leaves two spots for Andrew Bellatti, James Norwood, Brogdon and Morales.

All four candidates have options remaining, so any of the four could be sent to the minors, but Bellatti has excelled in seven innings for the Phillies, and Manager Joe Girardi seems to like the make up of Norwood. In all likelihood, the Phillies will resume the status quo, pre-COVID infections.

But Morales and Brogdon will be the first two pitchers waiting on the doorstep of the major league roster should injuries befall any relievers. His performance now can only increase his value to the Phillies and the probability that he's recalled at a later date.

Morales will see more time with the Phillies in 2022, but it probably won't be anytime soon.