The Philadelphia Phillies will shake up their rotation for the Washington Nationals series. Jesus Luzardo’s start has been pushed back to the series’ second game. The starter for the series opener is currently TBA.
“We’ll see here what happens over the next couple of days with innings and things like that,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly told SportsRadio 94 WIP’s Dave Uram.
That indicates that the decision will be announced at the conclusion of their current series against the New York Mets. They’ll have a better idea of their bullpen situation going into the Nationals series.
The Phillies travel to Washington, D.C., for a critical four-game series against the Nationals on June 22-25. Both teams are in the National League Wild Card race, with Philadelphia holding a 1.5-game lead over Washington.
It will be a chance for the Phillies to create more separation with a series win.
Phillies Announce Rotation Change for Nationals Series
GettyJesus Luzardo’s next start has been pushed back to June 23, as the Phillies reshuffle their rotation to split Aaron Nola and the fifth starter spot.
The Phillies knew they were going to have to replace Andrew Painter in the rotation for this Nationals series. Painter was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley following a rough start against the Miami Marlins on June 17.
His spot was due to come up on June 23, but they had options. Mattingly felt that having that spot come up in the series opener was a better choice.
“We talked about Monday being a better day for us. We’re going to split that spot, put Zeus in the middle of those guys, and still keep the lefties separate.”
The move also puts Jesus Luzardo between Aaron Nola and the fifth starter spot.
Nola has a 5.71 ERA in his first 15 starts in the season, coming off a tough 2025 season. The Phillies still owe him roughly $110 million out of a $172 million contract signed after the 2023 season.
Having Nola and Painter starting back-to-back games created a problem for the Phillies. In both their series losses since Mattingly took over on April 28, the two struggling right-handers pitched.
The club is 11-18 when the two struggling right-handers take the mound this season. Mattingly mentioned their status as contenders as a reason for running out of patience with Painter ahead of his demotion.
Who Will Start the Nationals Series Opener for the Phillies?
GettyThe Phillies’ latest rotation change seems to indicate that Alan Rangel will assume the rotation spot vacated by Andrew Painter on June 22.
With a start date of June 22, it opens up two possibilities for the Phillies. The first is they recall right-hander Alan Rangel from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Rangel has a 3.99 ERA with Lehigh Valley. His last start came on June 17, in which he threw five-plus innings. He’s up to 98 pitches last time out, so he should be fully stretched out. He would start on four days’ rest against Washington.
Calling up the right-hander would be his second stint with the club. He pitched three innings of mop-up duty on April 22 against the Chicago Cubs.
The other option is to stick with Bryse Wilson. That can be a risky proposition for the Phillies, as he’s not quite stretched out.
His last outing was only two innings and 29 pitches in the series opener against the Mets. Wilson hasn’t thrown more than 56 pitches in any appearance in June.
Mattingly said he preferred not to have to deal with bullpen games for that spot in the rotation. That would seem to indicate he’d prefer a more stretched-out starting option. That pretty much rules out Wilson for that start.
It’s worth noting that their decision is TBA and not TBD. It indicates that they have someone in mind; it’s just a matter of waiting until the right time to make that move.
That would indicate that Rangel is the likelier option to start against the Nationals.
Philadelphia Phillies Make Starting Rotation Changes Ahead of Critical Nationals Series