A day after being struck by a line drive, Philadelphia Phillies closer Jhoan Duran said he is “100 percent” and ready to pitch. Duran was hit on his right ankle and leg during the ninth inning of Friday’s 6-2 win over the Washington Nationals. He had to leave the mound and was unable to put weight on his ankle, requiring a cart to exit the field.
Duran, who joined the Phillies from the Minnesota Twins at the July 31 Trade Deadline, completed his pregame routine Saturday without issue. “I did play catch and I feel better than yesterday,” Duran said. “That’s good news for me. I don’t feel nothing [bad today]. It’s crazy. Yesterday, I don’t have power in my leg and now I’m normal, like nothing happened.”
Phillies manager Rob Thomson confirmed that X-rays showed no fracture or serious injury. “The X-rays were clean, so now they feel like when it hit his ankle, it hit a nerve and then he kind of got ‘dead foot,’” Thomson said. “He actually walked out to the bus pretty good. Then he came in normal [today].”
Thomson indicated he would not hesitate to use Duran in a save situation Saturday if needed, but the opportunity did not arise as Philadelphia lost 2-0 to Washington at Nationals Park. “Yeah, good to go,” Thomson said. “So, save only tonight. I don’t like guys going more than four days off. So last night was actually strong [with Tanner] Banks and Duran. It worked out good until he got hit.”
Duran noted that pitching Friday was important because he had not appeared in a game since August 10: “For me it’s good because I don’t like too many days [of] not throwing,” Duran said. “When I have too many days of not throwing I feel like I lose my control. I don’t like that. It’s good for me yesterday throwing in the game.”
The Phillies faced another setback this weekend as president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced that starting pitcher Zack Wheeler will be placed on the injured list due to a blood clot in his right shoulder area. “He is going to be further evaluated back in Philadelphia,” Dombrowski said. “There will be more information going into the week.”
Head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit explained Wheeler’s condition developed after Friday’s start against Washington: “Zack had been feeling better after his right shoulder soreness,” Buchheit said. “But yesterday, some symptoms had changed. Doctors were great in helping to diagnose and expedite that diagnosis this morning.”
