The Phillies’ postseason magic number is two; a deep playoff run may hinge on Jesus Luzardo, questionable with shoulder inflammation. A rival MLB executive told ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez Philadelphia would be his pick among October contenders if Luzardo is healthy.
The executive said the Brewers would be the better, more well-rounded team if Luzardo is not healthy. Gonzalez described a rotation featuring Luzardo, Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter as having major postseason potential; without Luzardo, the Phillies would still be in good shape, but their upside would be capped.
The article also describes Philadelphia’s offense as potentially shaky and its bullpen as questionable beyond Jhoan Duran and Alex McFarlane lately, contrasting those areas with the rotation’s upside.
