Velasquez (elbow) said the Phillies haven't told him if he will return as a starter or a reliever when he is ready to come off the disabled list, Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "As we speak right now, I don't know where I stand," Velasquez said. "There's been some talk. But, as of right now, I'll probably continue my starting career."
GM Matt Klentak has previously indicated the Phillies prefer to develop Velasquez as a starter, but the team could consider putting him in the pen for the rest of this season to manage his innings. The young righty is scheduled to make a rehab start Thursday for Double-A Reading, and then he'll make one more before coming off the disabled list. The Phillies don't have an obvious candidate for a demotion in their rotation, but a trade of Jeremy Hellickson could open up a spot for Velasquez if he remains in a starting role.