NEW YORK — Cristopher Sanchez showed up to the ballpark on Wednesday morning feeling normal. It doesn't mean he's out of the woods yet, but it's better than the alternative after he left Tuesday's game with left forearm tightness.
"Nothing really other than he feels normal, that's what he said," manager Rob Thomson said Wednesday morning. "I haven't had a report from the trainers yet. He actually wanted to play catch today. I don't know whether they're gonna let him. The last I'd heard, they just want him to rest today and that gives him tomorrow with the day off and then we start up again on Friday."
Sanchez threw 58 pitches over two innings in Tuesday's loss. His velocity was down, his command was off and he didn't feel comfortable from the time he warmed up in the bullpen. Catcher J.T. Realmuto could tell something was up but thought it might be a finger issue Sanchez has dealt with over the years, including in the recent Cardinals start when he induced four double plays.
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SIGN UP HERE Thomson asked Sanchez after the second inning if he was OK. Sanchez responded that he felt tight and Thomson pulled him then.
His turn in the rotation comes up next on Tuesday at home against the Nationals. The Phillies will almost certainly play it safe with Sanchez and delay that next start. They have off-days on Thursday and Monday before and after a series at Wrigley Field, which allows them to realign the rotation to give Sanchez more time.
Zack Wheeler starts on Wednesday and would be on five days' rest if he pitches next Tuesday. Jesus Luzardo, Taijuan Walker and Aaron Nola would be on the standard four days' rest.
"We can fiddle with the rotation and put him at the back end," Thomson said of Sanchez.
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There's also the looming return of Ranger Suarez, who threw 59 pitches over five scoreless innings at Triple A on Tuesday. Suarez will start again for Lehigh Valley on Sunday and extend to the six-inning, 80-pitch range.
Suarez could be back in the Phillies' rotation by next weekend against the Diamondbacks, and his return would allow them to be extra cautious with Sanchez if they so choose.
"You could be. That's not necessarily how we're gonna go, it all depends on how Sanchy feels," Thomson said. "But Ranger will go Sunday (at Triple A). He only threw 59 pitches last night so it's not like we're gonna take him to 95 after that. There's still some build-up there."
Sanchez was not scheduled for an MRI as of Wednesday morning and the plan is for him to play catch on Friday in Chicago. More will be known after he throws, but the Phillies might have dodged a bullet.