DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JUNE 25: The Philadelphia Phillies logo is pictured on a hat during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on June 25, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
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The Philadelphia Phillies are off to one of their worst starts in franchise history despite holding one of the highest payrolls in Major League Baseball, and a disappointing pitching staff has been central to the problem.
The team’s starting rotation has been a strength in recent seasons, but with Zack Wheeler recovering from a surgery, Jesus Luzardo struggling and Taijuan Walker being cut from the team, it has been one of the many issues so far.
As the Phillies try to sort out the issues before it’s too late, fans might prefer to reminisce about some of the starters from years past. And the latest update on a former fan favorite has seen him return to the majors with one of the best teams in the National League.
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On Friday, Marquee Sports Network’s Taylor McGregor reported that the Chicago Cubs had selected the contract of Vince Velasquez, who spent six years with the Phillies, including a breakout 2016 season.
“Velasquez will be making a return to the MLB mound for the first time since a short (yet effective) stint with Pittsburgh in 2023,” Drew Tweedie wrote for MLB Trade Rumors. “More recently, he pitched with the KBO Lotte Giants to poor results, with an 8.23 ERA in 35 innings. While there’s an element of misfortune there (ERA predictor xFIP gauged him closer to a 5-ERA performance), it probably wasn’t the results Velasquez was hoping for on his foray into Korea.”
Velasquez began his career with the Houston Astros in 2015 before joining the Phillies. And in 116 career starts for the Phillies, he racked up 642 strikeouts with a 4.93 ERA. And many of the team’s fans will remember him for a historic start during his debut season.
“Ten years ago … Velasquez authored one of the most dominant pitching performances in the 144-year history of the Philadelphia Phillies,” Matt Gelb wrote for The Athletic earlier this season. “He was 23 years old, making his first start at Citizens Bank Park... And he struck out 16 batters while walking none in a three-hit shutout of the San Diego Padres.”
Velasquez’s start featured the third most strikeouts by any Phillies pitcher in history and he was just the third pitcher 23 or younger with a 16-strikeout, no-walk shutout in MLB history, joining Dwight Gooden and Kerry Wood.
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Now he will return to a major-league mound with the Cubs, probably in a relief role as the team chases a National League pennant.
“Most likely, Velasquez’s role will be to soak up some innings as the long reliever in the bullpen when the score goes sideways,” Tweedie added. “It remains to be seen how effective he’ll be in his role, given his MLB layoff, but at the very least, he’s a once-proven MLB arm with ample experience.”
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