(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Phillies enter the final week of the regular season with the first Wild Card spot in hand.
They want to finish the regular season strong and be ready for another deep playoff push.
Last year, the Phillies went from the Wild Card to the World Series, so there should be confidence they can do that again.
One pitcher who could play a role for the Phillies in the postseason is rookie Orion Kerkering.
The 22-year-old rookie made his MLB debut on Sunday, and he pitched great.
In one inning, Kerkering struck out two batters without allowing a baserunner.
You can tell his debut not only meant a lot to him but also to his family.
There were cameras directed towards his father during the inning.
He was emotional about seeing his son make his MLB debut.
MLB posted a video of Kerkering’s outing with his father’s reaction.
When your son, Orion Kerkering, makes his MLB debut and gets two strikeouts … there IS crying in baseball. pic.twitter.com/7DFhixpcmb
— MLB (@MLB) September 25, 2023
This is what baseball is all about.
Seeing the emotion from father to son is cool.
You can bet this will not be the last time Kerkering takes the mound this season.
The only question is, will he be on the postseason roster?
Kerkering can only make the postseason roster as an injury replacement.
That is due to him not being on the big league team by September 1.
Yet, Kerkering can take a postseason roster spot as an injury replacement for anyone unable to play.
According to MLB.com, that would count for Rhys Hoskins, who has not played all year.
Having another solid right-handed reliever could be huge for the Phillies in the playoffs.
You can never have enough pitching in October and Kerkering will certainly help their cause.
The post Phillies Pitcher Enjoyed An Emotional Debut Sunday appeared first on The Cold Wire.
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