There were questions about the Phillies pitching staff and how manager Rob Thomson will set up the starting rotation. He answered one of those questions on Wednesday when he announced some changes in the rotation that will put Cristopher Sanchez in position to start the first game of the postseason for the Phillies, or pitch the final game of the season should the Phillies need a win to clinch home field.

With the addition of Walker Buehler to the rotation last week it was thought that the Phillies would use a six-man rotation the rest of the way. Thomson altered that plan yesterday when he announced that Friday’s game in Arizona will be a so called “Walker Day.” The Phillies will piggyback Taijuan Walker and Walker Buehler against the Diamondbacks with Taijuan Walker starting the game and Walker Buehler following him to the mound.

Walker and Buehler have both worked out of the bullpen during their careers while Aaron Nola has not. If the Phillies need a fourth starter in the postseason, it appears that Thomson has decided on using Nola in that role with Walker and Buehler working out of the bullpen. In past seasons, Nola would have been a lock to be one of the starters, but his performance this season – 4-9, 6.44 in 15 starts – left his role in the playoffs in doubt.

The piggybacking idea gives both Walker and Buehler the chance to work out of the bullpen prior to the postseason as Thomson will likely swap the two in the next start with Buehler being the starter and Walker coming in after him. It also allows Thomson to set up starters his second and third starters. Ranger Suarez would be in line to start game two and Jesus Luzardo would start game 3. The drawback to that setup is that the first three starters are all left-handed. Thomson told reporters that with Suarez not having the velocity that Sanchez and Luzardo do, having him between the two hard throwers would mix things up enough to keep opposing hitters off balance.

“Well, we can manipulate a lot of things, but Sanchy’s the key,” Thomson said. “Ranger in between (could be a benefit), yeah.”

The Phillies are still hoping to catch the Milwaukee Brewers to finish with the best record in the NL, which would guarantee them home field advantage throughout the NL playoffs. The Phillies currently trail Milwaukee by 2.5 games for the best record in the NL. They have clinched the NL East, but have not clinched having the second best record in the NL, so that’s another quest they are on between now and the end of the season.

The rotation was shaken up when Zack Wheeler went down with a blood clot in his shoulder area and required surgery. The Phillies ace will have a second surgery on September 23rd to fix a condition known as Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Wheeler will not be ready for spring training and will likely miss the early portion of next season. There is a six to eight week recovery process for Wheeler to go through before he would return to the mound.