Philadelphia Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo is nearing a potential return after taking another positive step in his throwing progression before the playoffs.

Luzardo played catch Wednesday for the fourth consecutive day, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. He first resumed throwing at Citi Field before Philadelphia's 7-2 win over the New York Mets on Sunday. His next rehabilitation test is expected to be throwing from a mound, potentially as soon as Thursday.

The left-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list last week after being scratched from his scheduled September 12 start because of stiffness and inflammation in his throwing shoulder. His shoulder has responded well to rest, and the Phillies remain hopeful he can return during the playoffs. His earliest possible return date is September 27, the final game of the regular season, though there is no guarantee he will pitch that day.

Luzardo's availability could be worth its weight in gold after he put together the best season of his career. Across 29 starts, he has gone 14-5 with a 2.87 ERA in 178.2 innings, recording 221 strikeouts and a 6.4 bWAR. He also earned his first All-Star selection in 2026.

His performance since June 1 shows why his return matters. During that stretch, Luzardo ranked first in MLB in ERA at 2.01, third in FIP at 2.78, third in batting average against at .179, tied for third in strikeout percentage at 32.4%, and tied for second in fWAR at 3.5.

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Luzardo last pitched on September 7, when he threw the first complete game and shutout of his career against the Atlanta Braves.

Philadelphia has not revealed whether he would return as a starter or reliever. If he cannot start during the wild-card round, a bullpen role could be considered, though he has not appeared in relief since 2021 with the Athletics.

The Phillies could turn to Aaron Nola if Luzardo cannot start. Nola has logged a 1.86 ERA over his last eight starts.

A healthy Luzardo could matter greatly to the team's hopes of winning a third World Series title after he posted a 2.35 ERA over 7.2 playoff innings last season.