Phillies' Spencer Turnbull: Could piggyback another starter

The Phillies are considering piggybacking Turnbull with another starter, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Turnbull's stint in the Phillies' rotation was supposed to be temporary while Taijuan Walker (shoulder) worked his way back. However, Turnbull has pitched so well -- posting a 1.67 ERA and 36:10 K:BB in 32.1 innings -- that the club is considering ways to keep him in its rotation even with Walker back in the fold. A six-man rotation hasn't been ruled out, although manager Rob Thomson has indicated it's unlikely. Instead, it seems that Turnbull and another starter -- either Walker or Cristopher Sanchez -- will be used in tandem, with the decision on who would start and who would be in long relief that day depending on the opposition. Turnbull could still eventually shift to the bullpen on a full-time basis, as he hasn't thrown more than 56.2 innings in a season since 2019, but it doesn't sound like that's going to happen yet. Thomson indicated that he could make an announcement regarding his rotation plans as soon as Friday.