Phillies’ Jesus Luzardo injury update could clear Cubs’ path in Wild Card race

The Chicago Cubs appear to be on collision course with the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Wild Card round. Entering play on Tuesday night, the Cubs hold a half-game lead over the Phillies for the No. 4 seed. At the very least, the Cubs chances of securing the top Wild Card spot were boosted by the news that the Philadelphia Phillies have placed starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo on the 15-day IL.

After a complete game shutout of the Atlanta Braves on September 7, where he tallied 12 strikeouts, Luzardo has been dealing with shoulder discomfort. The 28-year-old had an MRI over the weekend that revealed no structural damage, but after Luzardo seemingly wasn't recovering the way the Phillies hoped, the team made the decision to give him additional rest with the IL stint.

For now, the Phillies are taking a day-by-day approach. The IL move is retroactive to his last start, so in theory, there is chance that Luzardo pitches again for the Phillies during the regular season. Beyond that, it would also seem there's still a decent chance that Luzardo is available for the Phillies during the playoffs.

Cubs' push for top NL Wild Card spot gets sudden boost from Phillies injury news

Things could certainly change before then, but the immediate point is what Luzardo's injury means for the Cubs over the next week and a half. The Cubs once again control their fate for the No. 4 seed, putting them in a position to host the Wild Card series against the Phillies.

But as is the case with Luzardo's injury, the National League Wild Card race remains fluid. The San Diego Padres are currently the No. 6 seed, but only trail the Cubs by 1.5 games. Luzardo's status moving forward certainly could be a greater factor for the race between the Phillies and Padres.

Once the Cubs wrap up their series against the Atlanta Braves this week, the schedule works in their favor with consecutive series against the Cincinnati Reds and Miami Marlins. Meanwhile, the Phillies have a weekend series against the New York Mets before closing their season with series against the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays. In theory, Luzardo would be eligible to be reinstated from the IL next week.

For the Cubs, the hope is they have No. 4 seed clinched before their final series of the regular season against the Red Sox in Boston. .

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