Spencer Turnbull exits with shoulder soreness, but Brandon Marsh powers Phillies to series win vs. Tigers

DETROIT — A few days ago, as Spencer Turnbull braced for his return to the Phillies’ starting rotation, he noted that his right arm felt strong and healthy after a six-week stint in the bullpen.

“Knock on wood,” he said.

Turnbull paused and peeked around the dugout. He took a step, closed his fist, and tapped the bat rack three times before wondering aloud, “I don’t know if that’s plastic or wood.”

In hindsight, maybe he should’ve double-checked.

Of all the ways that Turnbull imagined his first start back in Detroit going since the Tigers didn’t offer him a contract after last season, this wasn’t it. No, he didn’t get rocked by his former team Wednesday. Instead, he left after 36 pitches — only three innings — with what the Phillies classified as “right shoulder soreness” pending further evaluation.

The Phillies won anyway, 6-2, in the rubber game of the series. Slumping Brandon Marsh went 4 for 4 with his first homer in two months and four RBIs, while a relay team of relievers — Gregory Soto, José Ruiz, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, and Jeff Hoffman — allowed one run in six scoreless innings before José Alvarado gave up a run in the ninth.

But as the Phillies raised their majors-leading record to 53-27 — with a four-game series at home against the dreadful, injury-depleted Marlins on tap beginning Thursday night — there’s suddenly a question about how they will fill the No. 5 spot in baseball’s best starting rotation.

It would be a bigger concern if, say, the Phillies didn’t have a 7 1/2-game lead in the NL East entering play Wednesday. But Turnbull was already stepping in for Taijuan Walker, who went on the injured list last weekend with an inflamed right index finger.

And the pitching depth at Triple-A is lacking, to put it kindly.

Walker isn’t eligible to return until July 7 at the earliest, so he will miss at least one more start next Tuesday in Chicago. He accompanied the team to Detroit but wasn’t ready to test his finger by attempting to throw his signature splitter, the pitch that is most affected by the injury.

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