Nick Pivetta returns for the first-place Phillies | Extra Innings

Summer unofficially began Monday, and the Phillies celebrated Memorial Day with an off day. Did you see Gabe Kapler riding The Great Nor’easter? Was that Rhys Hoskins on the tram car? I wonder if Bryce Harper had a slice from Manco and Manco’s.

Anyway, the holiday is over. Summer, for the Phillies, begins tonight. And for the first time since 2011, they are in first place for their first game after Memorial Day. The playoffs are four months away, and the Phillies will be there if they can survive the summer.

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— Matt Breen (extrainnings@philly.com)

The Phillies were in first place when Nick Pivetta left six weeks ago. And they will be in first place Tuesday night when he returns from triple A and starts against St. Louis.

Not much has changed for the Phillies, but the Phillies hope much has changed for Pivetta.

The Phillies hope they refreshed Pivetta with six starts for Lehigh Valley after he posted an 8.35 ERA in his first four major-league starts this season. Pivetta racked up strikeouts in triple A, 50 in 37 innings, but still walked 4.9 batters per nine innings and finished with a pedestrian 3.41 ERA.

Pivetta did not force his way back to the majors. Instead, the Phillies had an opening after Cole Irvin was rocked at Wrigley Field and Vince Velasquez was shuffled to the bullpen.

“We feel like there’s been some steps taken,” Kapler said. “He’s had some success, and there have been some bumps in the road. [Pitching coach] Chris Young and I plan on having a good conversation with him and arming him with some information that will help him on Tuesday.”

What Pivetta needs to do to stick around is simple: Limit walks and stay away from the long ball. He allowed homers at a career-high rate this season and walked six batters in his final nine innings. The Phillies proved last month that they don’t have the luxury of being patient as they compete for a division crown.

Irvin, before he struggled against the Cubs, had pitched well in two starts. He will be back if Pivetta stumbles. But the Phillies hope Pivetta, for whom they had high expectations before this season, returns from Allentown as a different pitcher from the one who left them in April.

“There are good pitchers in this organization, and there’s competition in this organization, and I don’t have time to let my mental side falter in any way,” Pivetta told columnist Mike Sielski after being sent down. “I need to be an A pitcher here until I get called up to the big leagues this year, then an A pitcher throughout the year.

"And if I falter at any time, who knows what’s going to happen, because it’s irrelevant I got sent down four games into the season. So, what’s to say I couldn’t get sent down any other time? There’s that pressure, but there’s no time to really focus on being sad and mopey and just down on myself.”

Rhys Hoskins will host the Muscular Dystrophy Association Muscle Walk on June 8 at the Navy Yard. Hoskins’ passion for the MDA was born in high school when he volunteered for a week at the association’s camp in Northern California, and his charity work is something that would have made David Montgomery proud.

The Phillies are in first place, but how can they get better? Scott Lauber answered that on Monday. Hint: One of the ways has to do with the team’s $330 million man.

J.D. Hammer, and his signature glasses, reached the majors this weekend in Milwaukee. The Phillies have to make a roster move Tuesday to create room for Pivetta, but Hammer’s debut Sunday should be enough to keep him around.

Tonight: Nick Pivetta faces the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright at Citizens Bank Park, 7:05 p.m.

Tomorrow: Aaron Nola starts against debuting left-hander Genesis Cabrera, 7:05 p.m.

Thursday: Jerad Eickhoff pitches the series finale against Dakota Hudson, 1:05 p.m.

Friday: The Phillies open a three-game series at Dodger Stadium, 10:10 p.m.

Monday: The Phillies begin a three-game series in San Diego, 10:10 p.m.

Remember Tom Eshelman? He was the Phillies minor-league pitcher of the year in 2017 after a terrific season at triple A. He appeared to be on the cusp of the majors at the start of last season, but never repeated the success he had a year earlier.

Eshelman, who will turn 25 in June, seems to be showing signs that he could be back on track after a difficult year. He pitched seven shutout innings Sunday in triple A, struck out seven and allowed just one walk and four hits.

Eshelman is known for his command, and he’s thrown 72 percent of his pitches for strikes this season in two triple-A starts. The Phillies will need starting pitchers this summer, and Eshelman could make a case for a promotion if he can pitch this season as he did in 2017.

Send questions by email or on Twitter @matt_breen.

Question: My question has to do with mound visits. I hear it mentioned frequently during broadcasts, but I don’t know the details ... specifically, how many are allowed, what is considered a mound visit, and what are the consequences/penalties for exceeding your allotment? — Jeff S. via email

Answer: Thanks, Jeff. Each team is allowed five mound visits per game, and a visit is defined by any time a coach or player visits the pitcher without removing him from the game. The teams receive an additional visit for each extra inning.

If a team runs out, a coach or manager can still visit the mound if it’s for a substitution. Also, an umpire can grant a team permission at the catcher’s request if the catcher and pitcher have had a mixed communication.

The scoreboard at Citizens Bank Park tracks mound visits during the game, alerting fans how many the Phillies have left.