WASHINGTON -- The Phillies know they sounded some alarm bells when interim manager Rob Thomson pulled Zach Eflin after just two innings in Sunday’s 9-3 loss to the Nationals, given Eflin’s injury history. There is concern over Elfin’s right knee -- though there is no structural damage -- and both the interim skipper and right-hander said his early exit was pre-planned.  

“We knew going in today we were going to limit him to around three innings max,” Thomson said. “During the first two innings, he was doing a lot of running around, covering first base, backing up bases. He looked, to me, a little ginger walking around. So I was just being careful with him.”

Elfin said the knee discomfort that forced him to end his previous start on Tuesday in Miami after 80 pitches was diagnosed as a fat pad impingement, and that he took the mound Sunday at less than 100 percent. As of now, he plans to pitch through the issue unless it worsens. He remains on turn to make his next start, scheduled for June 25 in San Diego. 

“There is nothing structurally wrong with anything in my knee. It’s more of a bruise, or impingement, under my patella tendon, which is great news,” Eflin said. “We have to find that common ground of when to push it, and when to back off and let it heal itself. So going into today, we talked about doing a kind of opener situation, see what I can do. I’m encouraged to know we didn’t take a step back. It felt better than last start, and keeps trending in the right direction.” 

Eflin had his knee surgically repaired last September. He said the recent discomfort stems from his June 9 start in Milwaukee, when he twisted the knee jumping to complete a barehanded play in front of the mound. Eflin said he’s pitched at less than 100 percent since, enough that he “couldn’t comfortably push off my back leg” during his past two starts. 

He said he did not consider skipping Sunday’s start.  

“I’m not wired like that,” Eflin said. “I can still deliver a pitch. The last thing I want to do is make the bullpen eat up nine whole innings. Going into today I just wanted to eat up as many innings as I could.”  

As it was, the Nationals tagged Eflin for four second-inning runs before he departed having thrown 38 pitches, ultimately saddling the righty with his fifth loss while snapping Philadelphia’s four-game win streak (as well as its 12-game win streak vs. Washington, dating back to last year). The Phillies, though, were encouraged that Eflin didn't exhibit any noticeable downtick in velocity or stuff, suggesting that he is at least healthy enough to pitch. 

The question, though, is if Eflin can continue to pitch effectively if the issue lingers.  

“It feels close to being over with,” Eflin said. “It’s not fully over with. It’s still there. I still feel it when I push off. But it’s trending in the right direction.”