Former Phillie Spencer Turnbull back in the majors with Blue Jays after ‘very weird’ offseason
PHILADELPHIA – Jeff Hoffman isn’t the only former Phillies pitcher making his return to Philadelphia.
Spencer Turnbull is in the Toronto bullpen in a bulk relief role. He made his first appearance of the season on June 11, pitching two scoreless innings in a 5-2 win against the St. Louis Cardinals. His role is up in the air. He could rejoin the rotation, or continue providing multiple innings for the Jays out of the bullpen.
It’s similar to how the Phillies used him last season. Turnbull, signed to a one-year, $2 million deal prior to 2024, came to Clearwater last spring without a guaranteed spot in the rotation. An early-season injured list stint for Taijuan Walker pushed him from the bullpen to the rotation. He turned in an incredible five-game stretch in April, posting a 1.67 ERA in 32 1/3 innings. The sweeper was a real weapon. He looked like the find of the offseason.
Once Walker was ready to begin his season, Turnbull moved to the bullpen. He struggled to adjust to his new role as a multi-inning reliever, but found his footing eventually. The Phillies in late June needed him back in the rotation with Walker going back on the IL with a blister. He made one start against his former club, the Detroit Tigers, before going on the injured list with a right lat strain.
Staying healthy has been the biggest challenge for the 32-year-old Turnbull. He missed all of 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. A neck injury kept him out for a significant portion of 2023, his last year with Detroit. The lat strain, his third major injury in as many years, kept him from contributing to the Phillies’ stretch run. They could have used a healthy Turnbull, as the No. 5 starter spot became a revolving door later in the summer.
Turnbull did attempt a comeback. He threw for the Phillies in an intrasquad game prior to the National League Division Series against the New York Mets. He hoped to get on the NLCS roster had the Phillies advanced.
Instead, the offseason began a little bit earlier than Turnbull anticipated. It dragged on for much longer. Turnbull believed he was in a good spot health wise. The market disagreed. It took him until May to land a major-league contract.
“I wasn’t rehabbing anything, it was just a normal offseason,” Turnbull said before Friday’s game. “So I felt like I was healthy. I just did my normal offseason. But I don’t know. Teams viewed me still as being unhealthy. It was just really weird. It’s just a lot of waiting, thinking it would play out a different way.”
Turnbull eventually signed with Toronto for a one-year deal worth a reported $1,265,306, or $1 million prorated. He reached out to Hoffman before signing to get a feel for the organization.
“That helped ease my mind on some things,” Turnbull said. “The odds are that we’d both sign here and that I’d be in the bullpen again, at first I thought that was crazy.”
“He pitched really well for us the first time out the other day,” Hoffman said. “It’s going to be great to get him some innings. He’s a guy that can really help us.”
Turnbull did not anticipate still being at home in May, but that led to more family time with his wife Ashley and sons Rsyer and River.
The deal included an optional assignment to ramp up in the minor leagues. He began with three starts for Single-A Dunedin, then three more with Triple-A Buffalo. He gave up five earned runs in a game apiece at each level, but was sharp in his MLB debut with the Jays. His fastball topped out at 92.1 mph.
He took some time during batting practice to greet his former manager and teammates. The Phillies may not get to face him over the weekend if the Jays want to keep him on a starter’s routine.
Turnbull was a main character in the Phillies’ hot start to the season last year. Injuries kept him from making significant contributions beyond his early-season stretch in the rotation, but he enjoyed his pit stop in Philadelphia.
“It was still a really awesome year for me and my family,” Turnbull said. “I loved my time here. It was great. I actually had the best time here. Philly is a great city. It’s a great team. Clubhouse was awesome. Coaches were awesome. Training staff was awesome. Everything was great. I just can’t say enough positive things about them. Sad to leave, but it’s just the business part of baseball.”