Robertson has ‘setback’ in his Tommy John recovery

PHILADELPHIA » Despite having made substantial recent improvements to their bullpen, the Phillies had remained quietly hopeful that one final piece would fall into place.

With just over a month left in the regular season, that is becoming unlikely.

Not that David Robertson has been reliable in his year-plus with the Phillies, but the veteran righthander has suffered a “setback,” in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, Joe Girardi said Friday before a game against the Atlanta Braves.

Girardi was less than expansive in his report, though he did say, “Yeah,” when asked if Robertson had stopped throwing. “We’ll obviously have more details,” he added, “as time goes on.”

Technically, that was not an unexpected hurdle for the Phillies, who’d originally expected Robertson to miss the entire season, the typical length of a Tommy John recovery. But Girardi had dropped some nuggets of optimism about

Robertson’s recovery and about how he looked in the Phillies’ satellite camp in Allentown.

That optimism ceased Friday. “I’m not sure when David is going to be ready,” Girardi said, adding that he was hopeful for some more clarity by late Friday night.

Robertson, 35, is in the second year of a three-year deal with the Phillies that was due to pay him a total of $33 million. They can buy him out, however, for $2 million at the end of this season, saving $10 million.

Formerly a reliable piece in Girardi’s New York Yankees bullpens and a 2011 All-Star, Robertson was expected to add championship experience to the Phils’ bullpen. But he appeared in just seven games last season before requiring an operation to reconstruct his pitching elbow.

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Ranger Suarez, who missed the summer camp while recovering from a virus and has been working back into shape at Lehigh Valley, is nearing a return.

“The reports are good,” Girardi said. “He threw very well on Thursday. We will have discussions on what we want to do with Ranger.”

A left-hander who performed well toward the end of last season, the 24-year-old Suarez also has made three major-league starts, versatility that could matter if seven-inning doubleheaders begin to pile up late in the season.

“We have to make sure he is in the position to help,” Matt Klentak recently said, “right from the jump.”

Suarez can provide length from the bullpen, though Girardi would be more likely to trust Vince Velasquez in early relief.

“When you look at Ranger, you’re talking about 30 pitches,” the manager said. “When you’re looking at Vinny, you’re talking about 90 pitches. I think we could use them both. But I wouldn’t use Ranger nearly as long as I’d use Vinny.”

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Baseball’s Jackie Robinson Day, traditionally celebrated April 15 in honor of the player who broke the sport’s color barrier in 1947, was rescheduled for Friday. As per custom, all of the Phillies and Braves wore No. 42, Robinson’s number with the Brooklyn Dodgers, in tribute.

“I love celebrating Jackie Robinson,” Andrew McCutchen said. “It means a lot to me. With Jackie Robinson, and the person he is, it was really the beginning of the whole civil rights movement. It was the first time in this nation that there was some integration. But he was also very active outside of the game within the bounds of the civil rights movement. He always stood up for what he believed in.

“We’re honoring him for the man he was on the field and off the field. We’re honoring him in many ways.”

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The Phillies having boycotted a Thursday game in Washington as a protest against social injustice, McCutchen was pleased by the unanimity of the decision.

“It was very moving for us to come together as a unit and be able to reach an agreement on behalf of something we all believed in,” McCutchen said. “It created opportunity and an ability to open doors and have extensive talks about what we’re doing and about what’s next.

“Everything that transpired in that 24 to 48 hours around sports was, like I said, very moving.”

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Jay Bruce continues to work his way back from a quad injury that has kept him sidelined since Aug. 20.

Not only has Bruce become active in Allentown, but he is playing in the outfield, Girardi said, a signal that the Phillies expect him to be more than a designated hitter upon his return.

Bruce is hitting .231 with four home runs.

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Zach Eflin (1-1, 5.12 ERA) is scheduled to start at 1:15 Saturday afternoon, opposing Atlanta righthander Josh Tomlin (1-1, 3.93).

Girardi, however, was planning for the possibility of rain. If so, he said, he was certain there would be a doubleheader Sunday, even though the scheduled 7:08 start is to be telecast nationally by ESPN. Game 1, if necessary, would start around 4.

Jake Arrieta (2-3, 4.32) will start one of the Sunday games if there is a doubleheader.

Spencer Howard (01, 6,17) will start Monday against the visiting Nationals, as Girardi said he would give Aaron Nola (3-2, 3.00) an added day of rest after having thrown 113 pitches Wednesday in Washington.