Philadelphia Phillies starting pitching rotation alternatives

Triple-A replacements:     

Regarding the rotation of the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, three of those five hurlers have pitched for the 2018 Phillies. They are right-handers Enyel De Los Santos, Drew Anderson and southpaw Ranger Suarez. Presently, these three are Pivetta’s challengers.

If the good guys need another fireballer for the ninth inning, Pivetta, De Los Santos or Anderson could be possibilities. Usually, a starter who goes to the bullpen increases his velocity due to max effort, and Pivetta was excellent in his only relief appearance.

"WORTH REPEATING: “Baseball is a rookie, his experience no bigger than the lump in his throat as he begins fulfillment of his dream.” – Ernie Harwell"

The elimination process begins with righty Ben Lively due to a season-ending shoulder injury. Of course, other hopefuls had already passed him on the depth chart, and promotions from the  lower levels will affect him sooner or later.

Lefty Cole Irvin is having a stellar campaign, but he’s not on the 40-man roster and won’t require organizational protection until after the 2019 season. So, even though he’s 10-3 with a 2.77 ERA, the execs will not prematurely burn a roster spot.

As for Jerad Eickhoff, if he’s healthy, he’ll shortly begin an August rehab assignment. But he could return sooner in a long relief role. Under normal circumstances, he would now be the fifth starter on the active roster.