The Philadelphia Phillies have been actively tinkering with their bullpen composition throughout the 2026 MLB season, searching for the optimal group to connect their starters to closer Jhoan Duran.
Right-hander Orion Kerkering has delivered strong results, yet the middle-relief roles have become unstable recently, especially with Brad Keller sidelined due to injury. Now, the organization is once again pursuing a new jolt.
Righty Chase Shugart is being sent down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley following consecutive poor performances against the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets. Veteran Lou Trivino will replace him in the relief corps.
According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com on X, the Phillies have selected Trivino’s contract from Triple-A, bringing him back to the major-league roster. This marks his second tenure with Philadelphia, having previously made 10 appearances for the club in 2025.
Trivino was effective for the Phillies during his 2025 stint, tossing nine innings with a 2.00 ERA and eight strikeouts, along with a 230 ERA+, a 3.36 FIP, and 0.3 bWAR over that limited sample.
The 2025 season represented Trivino’s first big-league action since 2023. He actually began the 2026 campaign with Philadelphia but was released and subsequently signed by the Baltimore Orioles on May 4.
After two outings with Baltimore in which he surrendered six earned runs across three innings, he became a free agent on May 12. Four days later, the Phillies re-signed him, and now he is rejoining the major-league roster.
His performance at Lehigh Valley clearly warranted the call-up: across 22 appearances and 28.1 innings, Trivino posted a 1.27 ERA with 34 strikeouts, suggesting he could provide stability to a bullpen that has frequently been taxed.
Trivino should see action immediately. Interim manager Don Mattingly had been turning to Shugart with fair frequency, but the righty has faltered lately, possibly showing signs of fatigue.
Shugart has allowed three runs in each of his last two outings, against the Pirates and Mets. In three June appearances total, he has given up three runs, which has pushed his ERA to 4.97.
Prior to this rough patch, he had maintained a 2.21 ERA through his first 16 appearances in 2026.
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