Rob Thomson Hints at Phillies Using Six-Man Rotation This Season

The Philadelphia Phillies are sending a message to the rest of the league about what their rotation can look like at the peak of its powers.

To open the series against the Tampa Bay Rays, they threw perennial NL Cy Young contender Zack Wheeler. He was followed by rising star Cristopher Sanchez on Wednesday before Jesus Luzardo takes the ball in the finale on Thursday.

This is a three-headed monster that hasn't even featured Aaron Nola, something not many teams can say when it comes to their starting unit.

Both Wheeler and Sanchez delivered in their outings, combining for 13 innings pitched where just two runs were allowed on five hits with 14 strikeouts and three walks.

Luzardo has some big shoes to fill in his outing, but he's been more than up to the task this year.

Once Ranger Suarez finds his groove after coming back from the injured list, this is a starting five that has the chance to be the best in baseball.

But Rob Thomson seems to be eyeing adding a sixth man to the equation.

Will the Phillies Use a Six-Man Rotation?

There was some thought that later in the summer Philadelphia would eventually go to a six-man unit once they called up superstar pitching prospect Andrew Painter, but after the way Taijuan Walker performed in his relief effort on Wednesday, the skipper is already hinting at deploying that strategy.

"Now you start thinking about different things, you know? But you still want to keep his pitch count up because we might go to a six-man rotation at some point," Thomson said, per Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

This is an interesting statement.

Walker came into the year competing for a bullpen spot after the Phillies acquired Luzardo, and that likely would have been the role he had to start the year if Suarez hadn't gotten hurt in camp.

However, the veteran right-hander pitched at a high level during his six starts, holding a 2.54 ERA before he was moved into the bullpen.

Is Thomson thinking about going with a six-man rotation before Painter arrives?

It seems like that's a possibility.

Wheeler and Nola have racked up a ton of innings on their arms over the past few years, so getting them some built in rest during the regular season while still having them in a routine could be a huge benefit by the time the playoffs come around.

Whether or not Thomson actually goes with this strategy will be something to monitor.

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