Phillies keeping tabs on starting-pitching market

Bryce Harper is expected to play first base this week, which will move Kyle Schwarber from left field to DH and give the Phillies an opportunity to find a left fielder before the Aug. 1 Trade Deadline.

They would love to find a right-handed hitter to finally replace Rhys Hoskins’ bat.

They would love to find a starting pitcher, too. Top Phillies prospect Andrew Painter will not pitch for them this season. The team announced Wednesday afternoon that they have recommended Tommy John surgery for him.

“While he was able to return to throwing bullpens and follow-up imaging has shown interval healing in his elbow, over the last few weeks, he continues to be symptomatic upon examination,” the Phillies said in a statement. “Considering the timing of the season and that Painter is still experiencing symptoms, the Phillies' medical staff has recommended he undergo a right elbow UCL reconstruction with ulnar nerve transposition surgery.”

Painter will have a surgical consultation with orthopedist Neal ElAttrache next Monday in Los Angeles.

The Phillies once hoped Painter would help them in the season’s final weeks, and possibly in the postseason. But now the Phillies must ask themselves if they are comfortable moving forward with what they have?

They like what they have, but health and performance with pitchers can be fleeting. So Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said on Tuesday that the Phillies will explore more starting pitching before Aug. 1. Cristopher Sánchez has a 2.77 ERA in five starts since he became the No. 5 starter on June 17. He has been a blessing because the Phils are no longer scrambling every five days to find somebody to pitch. But if Sánchez stumbles, or if one of the Phillies’ Big Four -- Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez and Taijuan Walker -- suffers an injury, the options to replace them are relatively slim.

Triple-A right-hander Nick Nelson (3.73 ERA in eight starts) and left-hander Bailey Falter (4.38 ERA in nine starts) are the top two choices. Double-A Reading right-hander Mick Abel pitched well in the Futures Game a couple weekends ago, but he is 2-3 with a 4.75 ERA in 13 starts, striking out 70 and walking 35 in 60 2/3 innings. Reading right-hander Griff McGarry has a 3.49 ERA in 10 starts, striking out 51 and walking 27 in 38 2/3 innings.

The Phillies probably want more of a sure thing. They have been playing better than anybody in baseball, other than the Braves, since June 2. They have World Series aspirations. They can’t be caught flat-footed down the stretch.

Here are some starting pitchers who might be available:

• Angels RHP Shohei Ohtani: First, nobody knows if the Angels will trade Ohtani. Second, the price will be astronomical, and understandably so. Ohtani, who will be a free agent after the season, is the best player in baseball. He is the game’s best hitter. He is a fantastic pitcher. He is a superstar. So put yourself in the shoes of Angels GM Perry Minasian. Dombrowski calls. He offers each of the Phillies’ top five prospects -- Painter, Abel, McGarry, Justin Crawford and Hao-Yu Lee -- for Ohtani. Minasian says no, right? He probably needs more sure things in any deal. Bryson Stott and Suárez might be good places to start because they are rising stars under team control for the next few years. In other words, Ohtani seems like a longshot.

• Cubs RHP Marcus Stroman: Stroman is 10-6 with a 2.88 ERA in 20 starts. He is owed $21 million next season, but is expected to opt out of his contract to test free agency. Do the Phillies need a big talent like Stroman, considering the potential cost? Not necessarily. But he would give Rob Thomson another legitimate starting pitching option in the postseason. Remember, the Phillies went into last postseason with essentially three starters. Kyle Gibson was bumped to the bullpen and the team alternated between Noah Syndergaard and Falter as the No. 4.

• White Sox RHP Lucas Giolito: He is 6-6 with a 3.96 ERA in 20 starts after getting hit hard Tuesday by the Mets. He will be a free agent following the season.

• Padres LHP Blake Snell: The Padres have not declared themselves sellers, but Snell would be an option if they are. He is 6-7 with a 2.71 ERA in 19 starts, although he has pitched more than six innings just once. He will be a free agent following the season.

• Cardinals LHP Jordan Montgomery: He is 6-7 with a 3.23 ERA in 18 starts. He will be a free agent after the season.

• Cardinals RHP Jack Flaherty: He is 7-5 with a 4.29 ERA, although he has a 1.45 ERA in his last three starts. He will be a free agent after the season.

• Tigers LHP Eduardo Rodriguez: He is 5-5 with a 2.70 ERA in 13 starts. He is expected to opt out of his contract after the season, making him a free agent.

• White Sox RHP Dylan Cease: He is 4-3 with a 4.18 ERA in 20 starts. Cease is under team control through 2025, so the price for him could be higher than the others.