Phillies Exploring Reunion with Veteran Pitcher

The Phillies are looking into the possibility of bringing back a familiar face as they search for a replacement for their sidelined top reliever.

Jose Alvarado was handed an 80-game suspension on Sunday for positive PED tests, prompting the Phillies to reach out to 40-year-old free agent David Robertson. Reports surfaced on Monday about the team’s interest.

Although the discussions weren’t particularly serious yet, it seems that Robertson could serve as an immediate solution, particularly if president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski decides he doesn’t want to wait for trade opportunities to develop.

Robertson, who previously pitched for the Phillies in 2019 and 2022, enjoyed a solid season with the Rangers last year, posting a 3.00 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and tallying 99 strikeouts over 72 innings.

As a former Yankees All-Star and brief Met, Robertson boasts a career ERA of 2.91 along with 177 saves. Notably, during the 2022 playoffs, he excelled, allowing just one run in seven innings while striking out 11 batters.

Prior to his suspension, Alvarado had been performing impressively this season with a 2.70 ERA, seven saves, and 25 strikeouts in just 20 innings.

Alvarado’s loss is significant for the Phillies, particularly since the team’s bullpen was already seen as a weakness at the beginning of the season. However, there have been some bright spots lately, like Jordan Romano, who’s thrown eight consecutive scoreless appearances, with 11 strikeouts and only three hits allowed. Interestingly, he had allowed 15 runs (14 earned) in his first 11 outings.

Orion Kerkering has also improved, giving up just one run in his seven appearances this month, a stark contrast to his struggle earlier in the season.

Meanwhile, the Phillies (29-18) have taken the lead in the NL East, surpassing the Mets (29-19) after defeating the struggling Rockies and benefiting from the Mets’ loss to the Red Sox.