Kintzler ready to give Phils' 'pen a boost

PHILADELPHIA -- Brandon Kintzler remembers how to pitch. He did not forget everything overnight.

“It can’t go away that fast, can it?” Kintzler said Wednesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park before the Phillies' game against the Marlins. “I hope it doesn’t go away that fast.”

Kintzler, 36, came to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee following a highly successful 2020 season with Miami. He made the Phillies’ '21 Opening Day roster, and they expected him to play a key role in a revamped bullpen. But Kintzler posted an 8.50 ERA in 20 appearances before going on the 10-day injured list on June 8 with a neck strain. Kintzler said an MRI exam revealed the severity of his injury. He said it changed the way he pitched, including the constant adjusting of his arm slot to try to manage the pain.

Kintzler made his second rehab appearance Tuesday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, pitching a scoreless inning. He could be activated on Thursday.

Kintzler expects to be a different pitcher upon his return.

“I could help,” he said. “A healthy me would be really nice to help these guys. I think my experience would definitely take the load off of them. Just be myself. I don’t need to be a hero. Just be a healthy Kintzler instead of [an injured] one.”

Because nobody wants a banged-up Kintzler, right?

“Trust me, I heard it,” he said.

It is no secret that the Phillies’ bullpen needs help. It blew leads in four games over a six-day stretch before holding on to save Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the Marlins.

There are a lot of issues plaguing the bullpen. Defense is one. Confidence is another.

“Pitching with runners on and high leverage, it’s tough,” Kintzler said. “Especially on the road or anything. You’ve got to be quicker to the plate. You’ve got to worry about a lot of stuff. Obviously, defense would make things a lot easier, and then [you've] just got to be attacking guys. Guys are going to get their hits. You can’t be worried about the hits -- it’s just going to happen -- as long as you’re attacking. ... Teams feast when you nibble in high leverage. You’ve got to get right after it.

“We’re all human. You can hear it. You can feel it. But you’ve just got to get ready for the next one. All you need is one good one and then you just take off from there.”

Oh, and count Kintzler among the pitchers who will not throw a fit when an umpire checks his cap and glove for foreign substances.

“I’ve never used it in my life, so the cream rises to the top now,” he said. “The excuses that I hear are amazing, so I think it’s ridiculous. I think we grew up throwing without that stuff, and all of a sudden everyone is dying without it. I think it’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. ... Everyone thought they were good, they’re not so good no more. Some guys really cannot throw without it. I promise you that. There’s some guys I’ve heard that say they cannot throw a slider or something without it. Now we’re starting to see it.”