6:29pm: The MRI showed only inflammation, no structural damage, Thomson told reporters (including Gelb). He’ll be shut down from throwing for a few days but seems to have avoided a serious injury.
12:14pm: Alvarado has already undergone an MRI and is meeting with a doctor to evaluate the results, tweets Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Gelb adds that manager Rob Thomson has acknowledged that he is “a little concerned, for sure.”
11:07am: The Phillies announced Wednesday that closer Jose Alvarado has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his left elbow. His IL stint is retroactive to May 8. Right-hander Andrew Bellatti has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list in place of Alvarado.
The team hasn’t provided a timetable on the injury yet, but the loss of Alvarado even for a minimal stint is a notable blow to the roster. Alvarado, who signed a two-year extension prior to the season, has been one of the most dominant relievers in Major League Baseball this season. He’s fired 14 1/3 innings of 1.88 ERA ball with a sensational 46.2% strikeout rate that trails only Cincinnati’s Alexis Diaz for the MLB lead. More impressive is the fact that Alvarado, whose previous command issues are well documented, has yet to issue a walk or hit a batter so far in 2023.
With Alvarado sidelined for at least the next two weeks the Phillies will likely turn to a combination of Craig Kimbrel, Seranthony Dominguez and perhaps Gregory Soto to close down games. Alvarado leads the team with five saves but hasn’t been the sole closer anyhow, as Kimbrel has three saves of his own.
Kimbrel was tagged for three runs in his first appearance of the season before going on a dominant stretch of 10 appearances (10 2/3 innings, two runs, 14-to-4 K/BB ratio). He’s since slipped again, yielding a combined six runs in one inning during two appearances at Dodger Stadium earlier this month, which sent his ERA careening to its current 7.62 level. Dominguez saved nine games for the 2022 Phillies but currently has a 5.02 ERA and has seen his strikeout rate plummet from 29.5% to 20.5% in 2023. Soto notched 30 saves for the 2022 Tigers and is sporing a career-best 30.8% strikeout rate, but he’s also walked 13.8% of his opponents, which has contributed to a lackluster 4.50 ERA.
Suffice it to say, the Phillies certainly aren’t lacking in talented arms with closing experience. However, Alvarado was the only one of the bunch performing at an elite (or even above-average) level early in the 2023 season. They’ll hope for a quick turnaround with no long-term, lingering effects — due both to his general excellence and the nature of the contract he signed six weeks ago. Alvarado would’ve been a free agent following the 2023 season, but he signed a two-year, $18.55MM extension with a club option for a third year in 2026.
If the season ended today, Atlanta ball club would be the only divisional representative in the postseason festivities
The Atlanta ball club lol.
You can eliminate the Atlanta Puck Club.
“Get the puck outta here!”
Screammed the goalie to his defensemen.
He told the puck to puck off.
Ugh.
Anthony has not looked good in the pen this year. It’s little wonder he hasn’t closed games yet. I don’t think Alvarado’s injury changes that.
Seranthony
That’d be Sir Anthony to you, pal.
Yeah, the auto correct took control on that. Then I was too lazy to write a second post haha
It’s hard to get a read on the Phillies, they look like WORLDBEATERS one day and then ham n Eggers the next.
Ham and eggers. I love it. Nothing like a good Barry Horowitz and Brooklyn Brawler reference
I think they’ll go on a run in June. A lot of the guys not playing well are stars like Turner and Schwarber. They’ll come around. They’re still a flawed team with a lot of key pieces injured, but they’re better than their record. Nowhere near as good as Atlanta though.
Agreed on all points. I’m hoping Abel will get a call up by June, even if it’s the pen. I think he needs a taste of the big without the pressure. Painter too, but he’s probably not in the picture until late in the season.
You are only thinking they are gonna go on a run for #12 to go on a run. They are not a good team
Shut it hater
Schwarber does typically get hot in June, and I expect others will start heading to their baselines. You’re starting to see that already with guys like Stott and Marsh coming back to Earth, but the other side of the coin will be Turner and Schwarber getting their footing.
The bigger concern is the pitching which has at times been as bleak as expected.
It’s a long season and a team game. Different people will carry the team for different weeks or even months. That’s part of the excitement of the game.
I think most would agree that the Braves are the more complete or better team, but that doesn’t mean that the Phillies aren’t good.
Wheeler and Nola looked to have hit their stride. Ranger coming back this week. Hopefully that gives the Phils a very solid top 3.
PROS: Bellati is back, yay 😀
CONS: Alvarado is injured, and Bellati has been inconsistent this season
Bellatti was overused and thus got injured. I believe he will be better now.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
nelson & ranger back this week and strahm to pen
That’s the best decision. but offseason acquisitions of former closers Soto/Kimbrel to go along with Alvarado — and Strahm is the closer? Whatever works.
Strahm was moved to the pen already. Closer will go to Soto/Kimbrel/Dominguez.
Idk…what’s worse… left forearm stiffness or left elbow inflammation?
So, does that make Strahm the closer?
Soto most likely.
Is Seranthony Dominguez available?
Or even Sir Anthony Hopkins?
Kimbrel
Gross, but true.
Search your feelings…you know it to be true.
I think they should make him a 2 inning closer.
NOOOOO! This is the 1 player we can’t afford to get hurt. our horrible bullpen is now just trash! hopefully we can keep our head above watwr
Bullpen has been very solid at times, but it’s already overworked due to poor starting pitching.
Hey JJ how are things?
Afternoon Dave, sounds like you’re in a bit of a pickle there?
Possibly, kicking the tires on Chapman, how’s he fitting in?
He’s doing his job for us…why any interest?
Maybe, just keep me in the loop JJ….
Will do Dave…..
Pretty sure this call was made early this morning.
Phils do have a good bullpen, but bullpens are fickle and nothing wrong with a call….
Philly is Kimbrel’s 4th team in 3 years. Even the best (with rare exceptions) can’t sustain their excellence. It’s a good reason for teams to look for young cheap arms
He probably hurt it because he just finished playing 61 games in the NBA.
I hope Soto can get it together as that would make a good trade with Detroit. Maton while slumping a little now, along with Vierling are hitting their production numbers they had with the Phils. With Ibanez playing so well it’ll probably come down to Maton or Short who goes down when Carpenter is ready to come back up.
It all depends what they want to keep the right or left handed hitter. Detroit is playing so well right now its in the hunt for the Division win. They are turning some heads mine included. Wow, the Tiger games are so fun to watch as they are all contributing. Hopefully Soto does as well for D.D. as the players he sent Detroit.
Soto’s been very solid since his initial hiccups. I see that trade as a win for both teams.
How or why the Phillies gave Craig Kimbrel $10M I’ll never understand. He was mostly atrocious with the Dodgers and White Sox, prior. They had to have been bidding against themselves.
$10M though? Half that would have been more in line but still an eye rolling move. You don’t sign one of the prizes of the FA market for $300M and then bookend it by saying, “Golly gee, let’s shore up the bullpen with someone who’s given up more walks & hits per inning the last three years.”
The Phillies fans can be brutal. I hope he didn’t buy a house there.
After his brutal initial appearances, and a blow up in LA, he’s been very good so far for the Phils. I hated the signing at the time, but I actually think the Phillies have a very good bullpen with multiple options to close out games. Even with LA Kimbrel was very good for half a season before falling apart in the 2nd half. That being said, I agree that 10M is way too much. Was not a fan of the signing then, and I’m still not, but Kimbrel has been decent.
Pitchers going down all over the place. My thoughts again. The Pitch Clock Pace is Too Fast for some of these guys. Not enough rest between pitches. And the added stress of throw throw throw. Not to mention a Freakin clock right there. Guys are not used to this.