Eflin placed on DL; De Los Santos to start
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MIAMI -- Right-hander Zach Eflin will be heading to the 10-day disabled list Saturday, still nursing a blister on his right middle finger.
Minutes after a 2-0 loss to the Marlins, Phillies manager Gabe Kapler explained that the DL stint is a precautionary measure.
"It's one of those things you have to take care of," Kapler said. "It's still there, and we want to be cognizant of the fact that we don't just need him for one start. We want to knock this out and be in a good position going forward."
Eflin has been a bright spot in the Phillies rotation this season, with a 7-2 record and a solid 3.15 ERA in 12 starts.
Enyel De Los Santos will start Sunday afternoon in Eflin's place. The 22-year-old has been tearing it up this season in Triple-A Lehigh Valley. De Los Santos is 9-3 with a 1.89 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 16 starts.
De Los Santos, the Phillies' No. 11 prospect, made his big league debut on July 10, pitching 6 1/3 innings of three-run, five-hit baseball in a win against the Mets.
Eflin said his injury is nothing to worry about, and he believes the All-Star break will provide ample time to heal.
"The blister didn't really heal in the time that I had hoped or wanted," Eflin explained. "So, just going to skip tomorrow and take the All-Star break to get the blister right and have a healthy second half.
"I'm going to probably be on 10, 11 days rest, and it'll be completely gone by the time we get back for the second half and I'll be ready to rock and roll."