Lorenzen is listed on the Phillies' roster for their NLDS matchup with Atlanta, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
Lorenzen wasn't a part of the Phillies' wild-card roster as they opted for extra bench depth, but he will rejoin the team as the 13th and final pitcher. The 31-year-old righty posted a 4.18 ERA and 1.21 WGIP through 153 innings and figures to continue working out of the bullpen in the postseason. Weston Wilson lost his spot on the playoff roster to make room for Lorenzen.
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Phillies' Michael Lorenzen: Excluded from Phillies' WC roster
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Lorenzen is not on the Phillies' NL Wild Card Series roster, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
Lorenzen twirled a no-hitter for the Phillies back on Aug. 9 but posted an 8.01 ERA and 18:15 K:BB over his final 30.1 innings. He would seem to have a shot to be added to the team's NLDS roster should they advance, but the Phils decided he wouldn't be needed for their series against the Marlins.
Lorenzen struck out one batter in a perfect inning and earned a save against the Mets on Sunday.
Lorenzen was blasted for four runs while recording just one out in his first appearance out of the bullpen Sept. 19 but rebounded with his first save since 2021 on Sunday. He posted an ugly 7.96 ERA over his last five starts before being shifted to the bullpen. It's unclear exactly what role the Phillies intend to use Lorenzen in moving forward and in the postseason. He owns a 4.26 ERA through 150 innings and a 5.89 ERA in 44.1 frames with Philadelphia.
Phillies' Michael Lorenzen: Filling piggyback role
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Lorenzen and Cristopher Sanchez will be used in a piggyback role Tuesday against Atlanta, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
The Phillies may or may not have acquired Lorenzen at the deadline with the intention of using him in relief during the postseason, but his 7.96 ERA and 1.85 WHIP over his last five starts has certainly pushed him in that direction. Tuesday's outing could be a test for an arrangement the team hopes to use in the playoffs, with the left-handed Sanchez likely to throw a handful of innings before turning it over to the right-handed Lorenzen for a few more. Whether the setup is used more than once or if Lorenzen will move to a standard bullpen role following Tuesday's appearance is not yet clear.
Lorenzen (4-2) earned the win Monday, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks over five innings in a 7-5 victory over Atlanta. He struck out three.
Lorenzen's final line could've looked much better if it wasn't for Matt Olson -- the first baseman drove in all four Atlanta runs with a pair of home runs. Still, Lorenzen pitched well enough to earn the win behind the Phillies' seven-run outburst. Since he no-hit the Nationals on Aug. 9, the 31-year-old Lorenzen has struggled to a 7.96 ERA in his subsequent five starts (26 innings). Overall, he sports a 4.06 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP and 107:43 K:BB across 25 starts (148.2 innings) between the Phillies and Tigers this season. Lorenzen's currently lined up for a rematch with Atlanta on the road in his next outing.
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Phillies' Michael Lorenzen: Could be moved to bullpen
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Lorenzen could be moved to the bullpen with the Phillies expected to shift back to a five-man rotation, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
The plan has been for Philadelphia to pare down to five starters after Monday's doubleheader versus Atlanta, and that remains likely to happen even if it hasn't officially been decided yet. "Umm, I would think so," manager Rob Thomson said when asked about moving back to a five-man rotation. "But that's not 100 percent either. But I would think so. It all depends on how guys feel and how they come out of this. How Sanchy comes out of his start (Wednesday)." Lorenzen has plenty of past bullpen experience, of course, and part of the appeal in acquiring him at the deadline was knowing he could easily shift to relief, if needed. With Seranthony Dominguez struggling, the Phillies could use another right-handed setup man, a role Lorenzen could potentially fill. If Lorenzen does indeed move to the bullpen, it would be Cristopher Sanchez filling the fifth starter role.
Phillies' Michael Lorenzen: Struggles in San Diego
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Lorenzen (8-9) allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and three walks while striking out one over six innings to take the loss Tuesday versus the Padres.
Lorenzen and Pedro Avila traded zeroes for the first three frames, but the Padres' offense came to life after that. Lorenzen was very good in his first two starts for the Phillies, but he's allowed 22 runs (19 earned) over his last four outings, spanning 21 innings. The right-hander is at a 3.95 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 104:41 K:BB through 143.2 innings across 24 starts this season. He's projected to make his next start at home in a difficult matchup versus Atlanta.
