Phillies Injury Updates: Why Spencer Turnbull could return as a reliever

The Latest Phillies Injury Updates

• Taijuan Walker (right index finger inflammation)
• Status: 15-day injured list
• Walker has inflammation in his right index finger and a blister on the inside (right) of it. RHP Michael Mercado was called up to take his spot on the 26-man roster.
• Walker will throw a bullpen session in Minnesota. Then he will throw live batting practice when the Phillies get back home next weekend. (Updated by Destiny Lugardo on July 21)

• Spencer Turnbull (right lat strain)
• Status: 15-day injured list, out 6-8 weeks
• Turnbull will be out until August with a right lat strain. He was lifted from his start against the Detroit Tigers after three innings on June 26 with right shoulder soreness. He expressed optimism about his status to reporters in Detroit after the game, but testing revealed a more significant injury.
• Turnbull is currently doing his throwing program in Clearwater, Florida. There’s a chance he could begin throwing bullpen sessions by the end of next week.
• The Phillies will try to stretch him out as a starter as he gets closer to returning, but there’s a chance he could come back as more of a multi-inning reliever if a need in the bullpen arises or the Phillies run out of time to properly stretch him out. “If there’s a need before he gets fully stretched out, maybe we pull the plug and go.” (Updated by Destiny Lugardo on July 21)

• Luis Ortiz (Tommy John surgery)
• Status: 15-day injured list
• Ortiz underwent successful Tommy John surgery on July 11. (Updated by Destiny Lugardo on July 12)

• Michael Rucker (right hand arterial vasospasm)
• Status: 60-day injured list
• Rucker threw a bullpen session on May 14, and is set to throw another one on May 17.
• Rucker was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 3.
• Rucker was at Citizens Bank Park on July 11, with the plan being for him to throw a bullpen session. If that goes well, he’ll make a rehab appearance at either Single-A Jersey Shore or Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make a rehab appearance on July 13. (Updated by Tim Kelly on July 11)

• Andrew Painter (Tommy John surgery)
• Status: Minor league 60-day injured list
• The No. 1 overall prospect in the Phillies’ minor league system underwent Tommy John surgery on July 25, 2023.
• Painter is throwing 25-pitch bullpens every Tuesday and Friday. He’s only throwing fastballs and changeups currently. Thomson didn’t rule out the 21-year-old pitching in simulated games — which are a controlled setting — before the end of the year. However, he doesn’t believe he’ll be pitching for an affiliate at any point in 2024. (Updated by Tim Kelly on June 29)

• Dylan Covey (right shoulder strain)
• Status: 60-day injured list
• Covey is still dealing with his shoulder strain, and was backed off of throwing. As he was doing some conditioning work, he also slightly pulled a hamstring. He was in Philadelphia on May 8 seeing team doctors, but was expected to head back to Clearwater on May 10.
• Covey was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 1. (Updated by Bailey Digh on June 4)

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