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The Phillies' pitching depth took another hit as David Buchanan had to be carted off the field in Rochester on Saturday. Four innings into his third start for the IronPigs this year, Buchanan went to field a grounder off the mound when his leg buckled and he collapsed in a heap.
What a bummer in Rochester, as @IronPigs P David Buchanan twisted his leg on a grounder & is down in pain. Taking him off in cart @Phillies
— Matt Provence (@PigsRadio) May 17, 2015
Without knowing the extent of the injury, we can still assume that this solidifies Sean O'Sullivan's spot on the Phillies' rotation for the time being. Buchanan had already been bumped off the major league roster due to his getting punched repeatedly for an 8.76 ERA through 24.1 innings. He'd had slightly more luck in Triple A, but only thrown 12.2 innings for Lehigh Valley before his injury (though he was being noticeably effective vs. left handed hitters).
While we're on the topic of injured starting pitchers, anybody remember Cliff Lee? And I don't even mean that sarcastically, I had forgotten entirely about him until my dad mentioned him today. What do you think he's up to right now? Just hanging out, probably.
Here's hoping Buchanan's injury is less serious than it appeared.