The Phillies have picked the contract of left-hander Tyler Gilbert from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Right-hander Tyler Phillips was optioned to Triple-A, while Spencer Turnbull was moved from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL.
It’s a homecoming for Gilbert, who was drafted in the sixth round by the Phillies in 2015. Gilbert played his first five professional seasons in the Phillies organization before being transferred to the Dodgers for Kyle Garlick prior to the 2020 season, and his time in Los Angeles was cut short by the canceled 2020 minor league campaign.
Gilbert was then taken in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, and he pitched for Arizona from 2021-23, posting a 4.32 ERA in 91 2/3 MLB innings, including a no-hitter in his maiden Major League start on August 14, 2021.
Almost precisely three years after that historic game, Gilbert finds himself on the verge of making his major league debut with the Phillies. Gilbert signed a minor league contract with Cincinnati in the winter and began the season with the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate before being purchased by the Phillies for cash in May.
Gilbert has been nothing short of amazing since the deal, with a 2.06 ERA, 33.3% strikeout rate, 4.2% walk rate, and 58.1% grounder rate in 35 relief innings for Lehigh Valley.
This is Gilbert’s first stint as a reliever, and it looks to have sparked something in the 30-year-old. If Gilbert can replicate his Triple-A performance at the MLB level, it will be a huge boost to the Philadelphia bullpen, which has the third-worst ERA (5.32) in baseball since the All-Star break. Phillies manager Rob Thomson told Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer and other media that Gilbert would be used as a multi-inning reliever.
Turnbull hasn’t pitched since suffering a right lat strain on June 26, and the June 27 placement date of his 15-day IL sentence remains the start date for his new 60-day window. Turnbull’s scheduled return to mound practice last week was hampered by stiffness, and given that he’ll still require a significant amount of ramp-up time before rejoining the Phillies, his absence is almost certainly going to exceed the 60-day requirement.
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