Inside The Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Manager Finally Reveals Plan For Starting Rotation

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson shed some light on his plans for the starting rotation.

Tyler Maher

Oct 23, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson walks onto the field.
Oct 23, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson walks onto the field. / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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For weeks, Philadelphia Phillies fans have been wondering what manager Rob Thomson is going to do with the starting rotation.

Thomson already has five great starters who have been dominant over the first month of the season, forming arguably the best rotation in baseball. But with Taijuan Walker nearing a return from a shoulder injury, the Phillies are about to have six guys for five spots.

There's been much speculation and debate about what Thomson should do, whether that's go to a six-man rotation, move someone to the bullpen or leave the rotation as is.

Thomson has been intentionally vague about his plan as he weighs his options, but he finally opened up with MLB Network prior to Tuesday's loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

Thomson revealed that No. 5 starter Spencer Turnbull -- the most likely candidate to get moved to the bullpen -- will make at least one more start, potentially two. The skipper also said that given the team's schedule and upcoming off days, going to a six-man rotation doesn't make a lot of sense.

As for Walker, Thomson confirmed that the plan for him is to throw one last bullpen session on Wednesday before he returns during this weekend's series against the San Diego Padres. Thomson still hasn't decided which game Walker will start.

Thomson mentioned using Turnbull as a long man out of the bullpen, which seems like the most likely scenario given his aversion to a six-man rotation. While he hasn't made an official decision yet, that appears to be the way he's leaning based on his comments.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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