Will Orion Kerkering be ready for Opening Day?

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering made his Grapefruit League debut on Friday at BayCare Ballpark. His regular-season debut might have to wait a little longer.

Kerkering got a late start to the spring due to a hamstring issue. He’ll pitch in a minor-league game on Monday, Philadelphia’s final day of big-league camp. It’s not clear if he’ll be ready for Opening Day on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park.

“I’m not sure yet,” Kerkering said Saturday. “I think we still have to plan and talk it out. I think just seeing what’s best for the team overall and just what’s right for me.”

Kerkering threw 16 pitches in his one inning of work on Friday, allowing a run on two hits. He checked the box of getting into a game, a positive sign. But he did not throw his splitter, a pitch he’s looking to add into his arsenal, a single time.

The pitcher explained that there were a few instances where he could have gone to the pitch, but he stuck with his fastball and slider.

“I think it was just how the game went,” Kerkering said, “and then obviously looking back I was like, ‘Yeah, probably should have thrown at least one.’ But we’ll see how it plays.”

The right-hander thinks that he’ll be able to incorporate the splitter more as he gets more comfortable with it. It did not seem to be a priority in his game plan with catcher Garrett Stubbs on Friday. Kerkering believes it will come together as everyone gets used to it, similar to the progress he made when he added a sinker.

“I’m not saying it was Stubby’s fault at all, but I think everyone’s still trying to grasp or say, ‘Oh shit, we still have that fourth pitch that we can still throw,'” Kerkering said. “So I think it’s just like that planning mindset where it’s like: OK, I changed the plan up.”

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he wants to see Kerkering throw the pitch, with the thought that the addition of the splitter could help Kerkering keep hitters off balance. But the fact that he’ll have his next chance to throw it in a minor-league game instead of a major-league exhibition might indicate that Kerkering could start the year on the injured list.

If that’s the case, two of Zach Pop, Tim Mayza, Zach McCambley and Chase Shugart will likely be in play for the last pair of bullpen spots, as Jonathan Bowlan and Kyle Backhus seem like they’ve earned their way on.

Should the Phillies place Kerkering on the IL for the beginning of the regular season, he would not be eligible to return until April 7. But the team will make the decision based on what’s best for his entire season.

“Selfishly, you obviously want to be ready to go Opening Day,” Kerkering said. “I think overall if I do miss time, I think I’d rather miss the first 10 games of April than 15 days in July or 15 days in August and grinding through that. So I think it’s more important that I miss time now than it is during those important months.”