NEW YORK — After his 58th pitch Tuesday night, Cristopher Sánchez did not take a direct path from the Citi Field mound to the dugout steps. He instead veered toward third base, entered the dugout at the other end, and went straight down the steps to an area where no one could see him.
“Usually,” J.T. Realmuto said, “we don’t have to talk because Sanchy’s pitching so well.” But Rob Thomson followed Sánchez down the steps. Realmuto joined them.
Sánchez had labored through two innings of an eventual 5-1 Phillies loss to the New York Mets. Realmuto knew it would be a grind the moment he caught Sánchez in the bullpen pregame. Something was off, but Sánchez insisted he was fine. Until he wasn’t.
Whenever Thomson asks Sánchez if he’s all right, the pitcher responds with something like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m good.” This time, Thomson said Sánchez only nodded. The manager prodded. Sánchez admitted his left forearm felt tight. That was the end of his night.
The Phillies have been outplayed for two nights in New York, but those losses do not compare to a potential absence for Sánchez. It’s an ominous development for the ascendant lefty who was one start removed from a career-high 12 strikeouts. The severity of the forearm soreness is not clear yet, although Thomson and Sánchez projected confidence that they avoided a significant setback. A doctor examined Sánchez. Sánchez did some movement exercises in the training room to test his mobility.
“Not expecting any structural damage,” Thomson said, “but we’ll re-evaluate. We’ll know in the next couple of days.”
When asked if Sánchez would undergo an MRI on the arm, Thomson said, “We’ll know more tomorrow.” Sánchez said he was unaware of the plan moving forward. The Phillies can shuffle their rotation with the benefit of two upcoming off days. That’s a way to provide Sánchez some extra rest.
Even if Sánchez has suffered only a slight arm injury, it would not be surprising if the Phillies placed him on the injured list. He’s such an important piece to this roster; there will be abundant caution applied.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a thing that we have to worry about,” Sánchez said through a team interpreter.
The first pitch Sánchez threw registered at 93.7 mph, something of a red flag considering his sinker has sat at 96 mph all season. He labored through a 31-pitch first inning, then another 27 pitches in the second inning, including a sinker at 92 mph.
Sánchez said he felt “uncomfortable” during his pregame bullpen, but he did not think it was a physical issue. “I noticed that the pitches weren’t doing what they’re usually doing,” Sánchez said. “I wasn’t attributing that to the arm.”
Neither was Realmuto, who thought it might have been a recurrence of a finger issue the catcher said Sánchez dealt with in his previous start. (No one from the team had disclosed that Sánchez had a finger issue.)
“After talking to him after the game, I’m not as concerned as I was when he came out,” Realmuto said. “That’s obviously a really scary spot on a pitcher. But he seems to be doing alright, and structurally it seems to be in good shape.”
The 28-year-old Dominican pitcher was an All-Star in 2024 and signed a four-year, $22.5 million deal that takes him through 2028. Sánchez had a 2.96 ERA in his first four starts this season while featuring one of the better changeups in the sport. He added muscle in the offseason with the goal of reaching 200 innings while throwing harder. Nothing until Tuesday suggested he could not do it.
Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham made a mound visit in each of the first two innings. Sánchez fired 96 mph four times, but his average fastball velocity was more than 1 mph below his season average. Coming out of the pregame bullpen, Cotham told Thomson that Sánchez was “just a little off.”
If needed, the Phillies have a replacement primed. Ranger Suárez, continuing his minor-league rehab tour for back soreness, tossed five scoreless innings Tuesday night at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He threw 59 pitches. Thomson said the Phillies still plan for Suárez to make another Triple-A start Sunday to build his pitch count.
“That’s not going to change,” Thomson said.
Joe Ross, who entered for Sánchez, threw three scoreless innings. He could slide into the rotation for a spot start. Sánchez’s next start is scheduled for April 29. Zack Wheeler could pitch that day and still be on five days’ rest.
These are all short-term concerns. The Phillies can overcome those. But if Sánchez is sidelined for an extended period, it would be a serious blow to the team’s chances.
“Well, he’s one of the best pitchers in the National League, so,” Thomson said. “Other people would have to pick it up. But I’m not anticipating that yet.”
(Photo: Wendell Cruz / Imagn Images)