Delay’s impact on 2020’s Phillies

Starting six:       

For the Phillies, Aaron Nola will benefit from missing April because he was 1-0 with a 6.66 ERA after firing six home innings in March against 2019’s Atlanta Braves: two hits, one run (earned) and five walks. Unfortunately, his canceled first start was at Miami’s enclosed stadium. And he bested the 2019 Marlins with a 2.08 ERA.

If Zach Eflin can work on his slider during this downtime, things will work in his favor. Or he will miss an important opportunity with camp interrupted to refine his third pitch. Last year, though, he had two dominant outings and one poor one out of every three starts: He needs more than an above-average sinker and four-seam fastball.

Jake Arrieta can probably be healthy –and therefore effective– for three months. In 2018, he had worked through a balky knee from June on, and the Fightins shut him down due to bone spurs last summer. If healthy, however, he’ll be a strong three-slot arm. And another club will sign him because of scarce pitching.

With many day-night doubleheaders, the Phils will probably have a six-man staff, and it could be a deciding wrinkle for divisional winners. Here, southpaw Ranger Suarez will likely be in the rotation to break up the right-heavy staff, and he’ll get an extended look due to today’s circumstances. Is opportunity knocking?

With limited decision-making time, Vince Velasquez will probably make the starting six, and Nick Pivetta will earn his way from the sixth frame to the back end of the pen. Based on ’19, Pivetta will be the odd man out with a truncated spring training, but Suarez and Velasquez must pitch decently to keep their rotation slot.