Phillies Face Injury Concerns and Offensive Struggles in Loss to Mets

The Phillies suffered both a loss and a series defeat on Tuesday night, and now they’re left hoping they haven’t lost more than that. Cristopher Sanchez left the game after the second inning of a 5-1 loss due to left forearm soreness. He’ll be re-evaluated in the coming days, but this is a concerning development for the Phillies, who are already trying to get Aaron Nola back on track and still don't have Ranger Suarez in their rotation.

Sanchez saw a team doctor after exiting and went through movement drills. "Right now, I feel normal," Sanchez said. "I think it’s not going to be something we have to worry about… The doc checked me out and I feel positive that we’re not going to have to be worried about this."

While that’s a good sign, Sanchez isn’t completely out of the woods. The Phillies haven’t ruled out the possibility of an MRI and may delay his next start, which is scheduled for Tuesday against the Nationals. 

"After talking to him, I’m not as concerned as when he came out," said catcher J.T. Realmuto. "It’s a really scary spot on a pitcher, but he seems to be doing all right and structurally seems to be in good shape."

Sanchez struggled with his pitch count, throwing 31 pitches in the first inning and 27 in the second. His sinker velocity was down, and his changeup wasn’t as effective, especially after his dominant performance last Thursday where he struck out 12 Giants. Realmuto noticed something was off in the bullpen before the game, suspecting it could be related to a finger issue Sanchez had against the Giants.

"In the bullpen, he was just a little more erratic than he usually is," Realmuto said. "His fastball command wasn’t good at all, his pitches weren’t doing what they normally do… What I was seeing in the bullpen kinda continued the first couple of innings. He just wasn’t himself."

The Phillies and Mets were locked in a 2-1 game through six innings, resembling the tense battles from the 2024 NLDS, with the Mets breaking the game open late as the Phillies couldn’t get the big hit to tie or take the lead. The Phillies were 3-for-6 with men on base when Johan Rojas singled in Realmuto in the second but went 1-for-13 from that point on. They stranded nine runners, adding to their frustration from Monday's loss.

Now 13-11, the Phillies trail the Mets by four games in the NL East. Despite Juan Soto’s lack of impact in the series (0-for-8), Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos continue to torment the Phillies. Vientos is 10-for-19 with three doubles and two homers in his last five games against them, while Lindor has played a key role as both a table-setter and run producer. Meanwhile, Trea Turner has struggled against the Mets, hitting just .190 in 24 games as a Phillie.

Manager Rob Thomson used five relievers to cover the third through eighth innings behind Sanchez, with Joe Ross delivering the most effective outing, pitching three scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Ross, who has struggled to start his Phillies tenure, was signed for situations like this — to provide length when a starter doesn’t last long.

If Sanchez has to miss time, the pitching staff will become even more crucial. It could lead to Taijuan Walker staying in the rotation and speeding up Suarez’s return from his rehab assignment. Suarez has been sharp in three minor-league starts and threw five scoreless innings Tuesday for Lehigh Valley. The Phillies plan to have Suarez make one more start at Triple-A on Sunday, according to Thomson.

"Well, he’s one of the best pitchers in the National League," Thomson said about Sanchez. "Other people would have to pick it up. But I’m not anticipating that yet."

The Phillies now need to avoid a sweep in the series, with Zack Wheeler starting on Wednesday. However, they will need to generate more offense to make that happen. The Phillies have scored in only two of their last 20 innings.

"Just not getting the big hit enough," Realmuto said. "We’re hitting into too many double plays, not getting enough hits with runners in scoring position. Especially against a team that pitches this well, we have to capitalize when we have runners out there."