The Philadelphia Phillies suffered another discouraging defeat against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night, and the consequences for one underperforming player came swiftly.
Heading into the contest hoping to even the series after a tough loss on Friday, the Phillies instead saw a late advantage evaporate and ultimately fell in extra innings. For one member of the bullpen, that outing marked the end of his tenure with the big-league club, as the organization quickly executed a corresponding transaction.
Philadelphia Phillies Remove Veteran Reliever From Roster Following Brutal Loss to Toronto Blue Jays
Chase Shugart entered the game in the 11th inning with the score deadlocked, but he was unable to prevent the Blue Jays from pushing across the deciding runs.
The game-breaking moment occurred with two down in the bottom half of the extra frame. Toronto’s Nathan Lukes battled Shugart to a full count, extending his own season-long difficulties at the plate.
“Nathan Lukes hit a two-run home run in the 11th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-5 on Saturday night,” Aaron Bracy wrote for The Morning Call. “Lukes drove a two-out, 3-2 sweeper off Chase Shugart (2-1) into the seats in right for the winning runs.”
Phillies manager Don Mattingly might have held newly acquired Brooks Raley for that high-leverage spot, but he had already called upon him earlier in the contest. Shugart had spent most of the season working in less critical moments, but with the bullpen running thin on available arms, Philadelphia had few alternatives as it pushed for a victory over Toronto.
Philadelphia Phillies Adjust Roster Following Rough Relief Appearance
With the Phillies still in search of dependable options to connect their starters to closer Jhoan Duran, the club used Shugart’s vacated roster spot to bring up fresh help ahead of the series finale.
“He’ll give up his spot on the active roster and in the bullpen to right-hander Alan Rangel, who was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move,” CBS Sports reported. “Over two stints in the majors this season, Shugart has logged a 4.93 ERA and 1.33 WHIP over 38.1 innings innings while making most of his appearances in lower-leverage spots.”
With a Wild Card postseason berth very much in play, the Phillies clearly have relief-pitching concerns that need addressing. Should Shugart eventually return after this removal, Mattingly would likely want to be cautious about deploying him only in situations with less at stake.
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