The Philadelphia Phillies are bolstering their bullpen with the addition of seasoned pitcher Brad Keller, a timely reinforcement for the relief corps.
Keller, the club’s prominent free-agent acquisition, hasn’t taken the mound since June 13, yet following a pair of rehab outings, he has now been given the green light to rejoin the major-league roster. His activation was anticipated during the series against the Cincinnati Reds, though the organization preferred to give him adequate downtime after his last rehab appearance before bringing him back into the fold.
His presence should significantly strengthen the middle-relay crew that works toward handing the ball to closer Jhoan Duran. While Orion Kerkering has performed admirably, interim skipper Don Mattingly has lacked dependable late-inning options beyond him.
Keller had been hitting his stride prior to the injury, and his return should provide a lift. However, he’s not the only one coming back to the big leagues.
Alan Rangel also returns to the Phillies alongside Brad Keller
As reported by Lochlahn March on X, Philadelphia has enacted several adjustments to its pitching staff. Lou Trivino is headed to the injured list due to a right thoracic muscle spasm, with the move retroactive to July 7.
Filling Trivino’s roster spot is Alan Rangel. After being optioned following his last start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 2, he is now slated to take the ball for Game 2 of the Reds series, facing off against Cincinnati’s standout Chase Burns.
Rangel has performed capably as the fifth starter, stepping in for the ineffective Andrew Painter. Across three outings totaling 13 innings, he owns a 3.46 ERA and 3.89 FIP, with 12 strikeouts.
He has encountered some difficulties in limiting base traffic, surrendering 12 hits, walking six, and plunking one batter. Still, he has generally managed to sidestep significant scoring outbursts.
In addition to Trivino’s IL placement, the Phillies cleared a spot for Keller by optioning Seth Johnson back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Johnson had been dominant at Triple-A this season, posting a 1.33 ERA over 27 innings, and Philadelphia gave him a look when they began reshuffling the bullpen after Keller’s injury and Tanner Banks’s demotion alongside Painter.
Unfortunately, Johnson couldn’t capitalize on his chance. He made eight appearances and surrendered two runs in three of them. Though he didn’t give up a hit in any of his five scoreless outings, control proved problematic.
He issued seven walks across 7.2 frames. Some might argue he was effectively erratic, as he also fanned 10 batters and allowed only four hits. Still, his 7.04 ERA ultimately wasn’t sustainable for the role.
Leave a Reply