Velasquez (2-4) struck out four but surrendered four runs on four hits and a hit batsman in Sunday's 15-1 loss to the Braves.
The fifth spot in the Phillies' rotation remains unsettled, and Sunday's contest didn't bring much clarity on that front. If there's a silver lining for Velasquez, who transitioned to a bullpen role in late May, it's that the other primary candidates for the final rotation spot both faltered while working behind him. Cole Irvin was blitzed for six runs in 3.2 frames before turning the game over to Jerad Eickoff, who promptly surrendered five runs over his lone inning. Velasquez topped out at 38 pitches Sunday, so even if he gets the nod the next time a fifth starter is required Friday versus Miami, he'll likely be in line for another restricted workload.