PHOENIX — With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Bailey Falter motioned to the Phillies dugout. Interim manager Rob Thomson rushed to the mound with assistant athletic trainer Aaron Hoback, and in an instant, the best start of Falter’s big league career came to an abrupt and unfortunate halt.
The early diagnosis was right groin tightness, but the Phillies plan to have Falter undergo further evaluation. Nevertheless, it was a blow to both the Phillies — who have four pitchers on the injured list — and Falter, who was at a career-high 6 1/3 innings pitched, and had allowed only five hits and one earned run with six strikeouts in the Phillies’ 18-2 win over the Diamondbacks.
What Falter has done over the past few months is not easy. Since April 26, he’s been shuffled between Triple-A and the big league club seven times. Wednesday marked the first time this season that the left-handed pitcher made his third straight start with not just the Phillies, but any team.
