TAMPA, FL — One week from today, Jesús Luzardo will take the mound for the first time as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.
The left-handed trade acquisition from this past off-season will officially start Game 2, a decision that Rob Thomson announced just a few days ago. Thomson outlined his starting rotation for the first two series of the season, with Zack Wheeler getting the Opening Day nod.
Thomson decided that Luzardo would get the second game and go with Aaron Nola in Sunday’s conclusion to the opening series. Splitting up the left-handed and right-handed starters has more to do with Jesús starting over Aaron than anything else.
On Saturday, the lefty made his final start of Spring Training. Statistics from Grapefruit League action can always be taken with a grain of salt. In the case of Luzardo, I believe that is what we are seeing. Taking on the Yankees, Jesús got smacked around. New York took advantage of his mistakes, and the Phillies’ lefty could not battle back.
Luzardo Heats Up
Jesús Luzardo made his fourth start of Spring Training on Saturday afternoon. Luzardo was feeling his velocity early in this one, which is a promising sign for the start of the regular season. The newest Phillie touched 97.6 miles per hour on his fastball in the first inning and got both Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger to go down swinging.
In the second inning, Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe tagged Luzardo with a lead-off double. The next batter, Jazz Chisholm Jr., quickly worked Jesús to a 3-1 count. Calm and composed, the Phillies starter worked back in the battle, getting Jazz to strike out swinging. Volpe would advance to third base on a pickoff attempt that landed in center field, which was an error charged to Bryson Stott.
In the third inning, Aaron Judge would get retribution. A 2-0 pitch caught too much of the plate, and Luzardo’s mistake would cost him. Judge would send a drive deep to left field to extend the Yankee lead to 3-0. If there is one player you do not want to make a mistake against, it is Aaron Judge.
In the fourth inning, Jesús started to struggle with his command. Battling against Volpe, Luzardo walked the young shortstop to lead off the frame. He would then hit Chisholm with a pitch, putting two on with nobody out. Jasson Dominguez would reach on an infield single to drive in Anthony Volpe, making it 4-0 New York. J.C. Escarra tacked on one more with a single to right before Rob Thomson came out to get Luzardo.
He would wrap up his afternoon by re-entering the game in the fifth inning. Something you only see in Spring Training action. In his return, Volpe, Chisholm, and Dominguez went down to conclude the frame.
Looking Ahead
Saturday’s performance showed flashes of why the young lefty is thought of so highly. However, it also resets expectations when you watch him struggle against half of the Yankees’ starters. One thing to keep in mind with Jesús is that he missed the majority of the 2024 season due to injury. While he is healthy, there will be an effort to build back up his arm.
Starting with the Nationals on Saturday, Jesús Luzardo will begin his Phillies career against a familiar opponent. One start won’t dictate his future, but bouncing back from a shaky Spring Training is the buy-in the Phillies are looking for.
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
