Only a few days removed from being burned on the worst start of his MLB career, Philadelphia Phillies southpaw Jesus Luzardo took the mound Thursday versus the Toronto Blue Jays with redemption on the line.

Instead, he produced another concerning outing that jeopardizes his rotation spot and what has gone awry in consecutive starts.

From Ace to Alarming: Luzardo's Sharp Decline

Philadelpia Phillies’ Jesus Luzardo Hit Hard Again: Is a Meltdown Philadelpia Phillies’ Jesus Luzardo Hit Hard Again: Is a Meltdown
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Until recently, Luzardo had been the most consistent of the Phillies' starters. Posting a sub-3.00 ERA through his first 11 starts and with pinpoint control, the 26-year-old appeared to be a frontline starter who would be a mainstay of Philadelphia's playoff run.

All that came crashing down on May 31 when the Milwaukee Brewers torched him for 12 earned runs in only 3.1 innings. Some wrote it off as a fluke, an off-day, perhaps—a possibility Luzardo himself attempted to brush aside, even debuting a new haircut in the hopes of refocusing mentally. But on June 6, those worries were amplified as Luzardo surrendered eight earned runs in just 2.1 innings against a ferocious Blue Jays offense.

Shocking Stats: A Tale of Two Seasons

The stats tell a worrying tale.

  • First 11 Starts: 67 IP, 16 ER
  • Last 2 Starts: 5.2 IP, 20 ER

That's a precipitous swing that has had Philadelphia scrambling for explanations.

Velocity Is Intact, But Command Is Missing

Interestingly, Luzardo's velocity has remained constant. According to Sports Illustrated, both his four-seamer and sinker are posting the same velocities they averaged during his dominant early-season run. That implies there's no hidden arm fatigue or injury, at least none affecting his power.

Rather, the problem seems to be the command and pitch location. Luzardo is routinely serving up pitches over the middle of the plate, and MLB hitters, particularly good lineups like Toronto's, don't miss out on mistakes like that.

What's Going Wrong? Mechanics, Tipping, or Something More?

With no drop in velocity, the Phillies are probably investigating other culprits: mechanical failures, potential tipping of pitches, or even mental exhaustion.

Luzardo's struggle to adjust in-game and get out of early jams lends additional credence to the notion that something inside, a mechanical issue or a mental one, is amiss.

Nevertheless, the hope is that those are fixable problems, not indicators of an underlying issue like an injury or long-term regression.

Can the Phillies Afford a Struggling Luzardo?

The Phillies relied upon Luzardo to be a stabilizing element, particularly with Aaron Nola's inconsistency. For most of the season, Luzardo did that. Now, though, the Phillies might have to reconsider his role in the rotation, or at least allow him time to adjust away from the limelight.