Notes: Velasquez, Anderson swap roles
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Philadelphia’s starting rotation was in dire need of help at the Trade Deadline, and the need was further highlighted by Vince Velasquez’s start in Friday’s 7-0 loss. The right-hander’s two innings of five-run ball forced a change to the rotation moving forward.
Velasquez has moved to the bullpen, and right-hander Chase Anderson slid into the open role to become the Phillies’ No. 5 starter. Anderson has appeared in just 13 games this season and missed more than six weeks in the first half. Anderson has made eight starts among those 13 appearances (32 1/3 innings) and pitched to a 6.96 ERA.
Anderson signed a one-year, $4 million contract less than two weeks before the start of Spring Training, but he has struggled with short outings and high-scoring games. In his first two months of the season, the right-hander had a 7.34 ERA, allowing 31 earned runs in 38 innings.
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But after missing all of June and most of July on the COVID-19 list, Anderson tossed his first scoreless outing of the season on July 27 against the Nationals. Though he still needs to find more consistency on the mound, Anderson inspires more confidence on the mound than Velasquez.
Velasquez hasn’t pitched into the fifth inning in nine of his 17 starts this season, and his ERA in July ballooned to 12.23 after he posted a 2.96 ERA in May.
Gibson to make first Phils start
Right-hander Kyle Gibson was acquired by the Phillies on Friday, and less than 48 hours later, he will make his Phillies debut in the series finale against the Pirates on Sunday.
Gibson has put together an impressive season on the mound, which led to his first career All-Star selection. The Greenfield, Ind., native has a 2.87 ERA in 19 starts while holding opponents to a .224 batting average.
The 33-year-old spent seven seasons with the Twins, who drafted him with the 22nd overall pick of the 2009 MLB Draft. Gibson posted an ERA of 4.52 with a 67-68 record and 1.41 WHIP with Minnesota before signing a three-year, $28 million contract with the Rangers on Dec. 6, 2019, as a free agent.
Through 113 innings with Texas this season, Gibson has found success on the mound. An uptick in velocity in his six-pitch arsenal has the right-hander in the top 7 percent of the league with a 3.8 percent barrel rate.