Eflin's return fills out rotation; Bohm's future

PHILADELPHIA -- For the first time in a long time, the Phillies’ rotation is at full strength.

Zach Eflin is scheduled to start Thursday night’s series opener against Arizona at Citizens Bank Park. It will be his first start since July 16 following a five-week recovery from tendinitis in his right knee. Eflin made only one rehab start -- he threw 2 1/3 innings with Double-A Reading on Saturday -- before the Phillies deemed him ready to return.

“I pushed to not even go on a Minor League rehab assignment, but that’s how they wanted to have it,” Eflin said Wednesday afternoon. “So we did that and here we are.”

Eflin joins a rotation that includes Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Kyle Gibson and Ranger Suárez. It is a rotation that on most nights, theoretically, should give the Phillies a chance to win. Eflin was 4-7 with a 4.17 ERA in 18 starts before the injury.

He pitched six or more innings in 14 of those starts.

Eflin will be limited to around 50 pitches Thursday as he rebuilds arm strength. Left-hander Matt Moore, who held Eflin’s spot in the rotation, could be the first pitcher out of the bullpen behind the righty.

“It’ll be fun,” Eflin said about rejoining the team during a division-title race. “We’ve got to bring the energy every single day. I’m just happy to finally be a part of it and [to] not sit and watch and cheer lead. It sucks being hurt. It really is a horrible feeling, so I’m really happy I’m back, that’s for sure.”

Bohm not a left field candidate

Alec Bohm played his first game with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, going 0-for-4. The Phillies optioned him Sunday because of his defensive struggles at third base. Some believe Bohm’s future is in left field, but Phillies manager Joe Girardi said there have been no discussions of playing him in left field this season.

“No, no,” Girardi said. “We consider him a third baseman. And I know he had some struggles there. But I thought last year he played pretty decently at third base. This year, it has been somewhat of a struggle for him. So we still consider him a third baseman.”

Rosters expand to 28 players on Sept. 1, but it is not a guarantee that Bohm rejoins the team then, even though it seems like he could provide an offensive spark off the bench.

“I think when Alec comes back, he's going to play every day,” Girardi said. “That's what we expect.”

So does that mean he probably stays in Triple-A?

“No,” Girardi said. “If he goes 19-for-20 and everything gets ironed out … no, we want him to go, play and have some fun and relax a little bit and get going again.”