When the Phillies lost starter Jake Arrieta to a hamstring injury, the Phillies were already short on pitching.  Vince Velasquez was already the sixth starter, but tabbed for extra starts since fifth starter Spencer Howard was on the shelf, too.  With doubleheaders both this past Friday and Tuesday, the Phillies needed help.  They will turn to their top pitching prospect.

Phillies manager Joe Girardi said after Saturday night's 3-1 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays that Adonis Medina was "lined up" to make his major league debut in Sunday's finale against the Blue Jays.  The Phillies have made no roster moves just yet, and Girardi seemed to throw a little doubt at the idea.   "I can't tell you 100 percent, but that's the guy lined up".

If not Medina, the Phillies would have to count on the bullpen for all nine innings.

After the promotion of Howard, the 23 year-old Medina became the top Phillies pitching prospect in the system.  Medina was added to the alternate training site in Allentown on July 29.

Medina made 21 starts at Double-A Reading last season, while making one spot relief appearance.  Overall, he was 7-7 with a 4.94 earned run average for the Fightin' Phils in 2019.  With no body of minor league work to observe, the Phillies must have liked what they were seeing at the alternate site in Lehigh Valley to make this decision.

With Medina in the fold, here is how the remaining starts of the season may go:

• 9/20 - Medina
• 9/21 - Zack Wheeler
• 9/22 - Aaron Nola
• 9/22 - Bullpen game?
• 9/23 - Zach Eflin
• 9/24 - OFF
• 9/25 - Velasquez or Medina
• 9/26 - Wheeler
• 9/27 - Nola

Of course, if the Phillies clinch a playoff spot prior to the 26th or 27th, they could hold Wheeler or Nola for the playoffs.

By Evan Krawczuk, Contributing Writer

After a tough loss against the Washington Football Team the Birds are getting a lot of big pieces back from injury against a solid Los Angeles team. With some stars coming back will it be enough for the Eagles to get their first win?

Injury Report

Philadelphia Eagles 

Playing

Javon Hargrave DT 

Hargrave was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday while dealing with pectoral and hamstring ailments but was a full participant on Friday. Expect Hargrave to make his first start this weekend on an already strong Eagles defense. 

Lane Johnson RT 

Lane Johnson was day-to-day last week leading up to the game against Washington and inevitably did not play. Johnson was a full participant in practice most of this week. Expect him to start and help keep Wentz upright 

Jason Peters LT 

JP had a sore knee and was limited at some points this week in practice. The future hall of famer should be good to go for Sunday’s game.  

Miles Sanders RB 

The second year back was out last week with a bad hamstring. Sanders is back this week and is focused on pass protection. His presence in the backfield should also lead to more rushes called by Coach Pederson. 

Fletcher Cox DT 

Fletcher Cox took it easy this week in practice. Not because of injury, but for rest reasons. Big Fletch will be good to go Sunday.  

Desean Jackson WR 

Jackson, like Cox, rested this week at some points during practice. Although it appeared that DJax was injured last week in Washington he said he was fine and he's ready to go.  

For the record I wasn’t hurt or didn’t get hurt. I’m good.

— Desean Jackson (@DeSeanJackson10) September 14, 2020

Questionable

Derek Barnett DE 

The former first round pick missed week one due to a bad hamstring but was a full participant this week in practice. I'd be shocked if he did not play this week versus Los Angeles.  

Brandon Graham DE 

BG eased back into practice this week after going through concussion protocol. If Graham is out this week, Josh Sweat played very well last week and should be a solid replacement.  

Out 

Alshon Jeffery WR 

Alshon is still out with his foot injury. He did not practice all week and isn't expected back for another week or two.  

Los Angeles Rams 

Questionable 

Gerald Everett TE 

Rams tight end Gerald Everett is dealing with a bad back but was a full participant in practice on Friday. If Everett doesn’t play, starting tight end Tyler Higbee could have a big game.  

By Kevin McCormick, Sports Talk Philly Editor

Much of the focus around the Sixers currently is changes in coaching and the front office. That being said, readjusting the roster needs to continue to be talked about as well. There are multiple names that the Sixers have been tied to from Buddy Hield to Chris Paul, but all options should be looked into.

Another name that has been brought up is New Orleans Pelicans’ guard Jrue Holiday. This would be a homecoming as Holiday spent his first four years in the NBA as a member of the Sixers.

This potential move was first reported by Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson for heavy.com.

Jrue Holiday is in fact the interest of three teams.

That List includes: Nets, Sixers, Bucks. pic.twitter.com/SSRNMGvZXm

— 👑📍Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson, M.A. (@ScoopB) September 16, 2020

Holiday is one of the best two-way guards in the league and impacts the game in multiple ways on a nightly basis. In 61 games this season, Holiday averaged 19.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 0.8 BPG. He checks multiple boxes for the Sixers on both ends of the ball.

One thing we are seeing in the Eastern Conference finals is the emphasis on perimeter play. Adding another elite perimeter defender in Holiday would give the Sixers one of the best all-around defenses in the entire NBA. Between Ben Simmons and Holiday defending on the outside and Embiid protecting the rim, the Sixers would be very tough to score on.

Ball handling and shot creation are two things the Sixers need moving forward. Holiday is the kind of offensive player that isn’t afraid to put the ball on the floor, can create for himself and others, and operates well in the pick-and-roll. Holiday has also worked well sharing the floor with a true point guard, making his ability to play with Ben Simmons a non-issue.

His three-point shooting is not great but is also not a weakness. This past season he shot 35.3% from deep on 5.7 attempts a game. Although that number is slightly under league average, he is more than capable of knocking down shots on the outside. His outside shooting is more effective off the catch. When catching and shooting Holiday shot closer to 37% from three.

Recently I had the chance to speak to a league source about the possibility of the Sixers acquiring Holiday. I was told that there is interest on the Pelican’s side as well as the Sixers. It was also mentioned that there were brief talks between the team about a Holiday trade before the 2019 trade deadline.

Acquiring the 30-year-old Holiday is going to be no small task. He is a former All-Star and multiple time All-Defense player, it is going to take quite the offer to sway the Pelicans. Another aspect of getting this deal done is that Holiday is not a rental. His current deal does not end until the end of the 2021-2022 NBA season.

If Elton Brand can pull off a deal like this it might get him back in the good graces of Philadelphia fans. Holiday would be a good veteran piece that although is not the most ideal complement to Embiid and Simmons, would still play great alongside them. It will be fascinating to see if the Sixers can outbid opposing teams in the trade market.

Lj (@ljharrell54) and Connor (@connorten) are back to review a very tough week at the office against the Washington Football Team and preview this weeks matchup against the LA Rams. We talk the Rams infinite salary cap, Carson Wentz and Doug Pederson's needs to adjust and some key matchups to look out for! Listen, rate and review and follow us on Twitter @kellygreenhour!

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

After a four and a half month pause and seven weeks safely playing inside the Toronto and Edmonton bubbles, two teams remain and the 2020 Stanley Cup Final is finally set. The series will begin on Saturday night between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars.

Tampa Bay has long-awaited this moment. After reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2015, the Lightning have been widely regarded as the team to beat in several seasons, none more than the 2018-19 season when they won 62 games in the regular season only to get swept in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Now, they are back again and have an even more talented roster poised to claim the Lightning’s second Stanley Cup in franchise history and first since 2004.

On the other side, the Dallas Stars were seemingly the forgotten team of the return-to-play in the West. Among the four Round Robin teams, they were the one that wasn’t given a shot. They played through multiple trials and tribulations throughout the regular season, then powered their way back within each series to find a way to reach the final. They are certainly a dangerous bunch that is also looking to claim the franchise’s second Stanley Cup and first since 1999.

Here is a preview of the series, including each team’s candidates for Conn Smythe, how they got to the Final and what they need to do to win the Cup.