The Phillies bullpen is about to be bolstered because the calendar flips to September, as left-hander Jose Alvarado advised reporters (together with Matt Gelb of The Athletic) that he will probably be activated from the restricted record tomorrow. Alvarado famous that he returned to Venezuela to deal with a household matter throughout his absence from the workforce. No corresponding strikes will probably be essential to activate Alvarado, because the membership’s 40-man roster presently stands at 39 and rosters will broaden from 26 to twenty-eight tomorrow.
Alvarado, 29, is within the midst of a down season this 12 months as he’s posted a pedestrian 4.30 ERA with a 4.17 FIP in 52 1/3 innings of labor throughout 56 appearances this 12 months. Previous to this down season, Alvarado’s profession had seemingly been on the upswing as he posted back-to-back dominant seasons with the Phillies the place he sported a mixed 2.53 ERA with an much more spectacular 2.14 FIP and struck out 37.6% of opponents. His strikeout charge has plummeted to simply 23.3% this 12 months, nonetheless, and his groundball charge has related suffered. After sitting at an elite 55.1% from 2022-23, the 2024 marketing campaign has seen it dip to a much more middling 45.8% determine.
Disappointing as Alvarado’s season has been throughout the board, the Phillies are nonetheless certainly excited to welcome him again into the fold. In any case, the membership’s reduction corps has original a lackluster 4.57 ERA because the All Star break that’s left them backside 4 within the NL over that stretch, and their 4.76 FIP is healthier than solely the lowly Rockies amongst NL golf equipment. Even Alvarado’s roughly common numbers from this season would represent a step ahead for the struggling bullpen in Philadelphia, to say nothing of how significant a return to type could be for the membership as they give the impression of being to make their third consecutive journey to the NLCS.
Alvarado’s return must be significantly impactful for the membership towards southpaws. Even amid his lackluster outcomes this 12 months, the lefty has nonetheless performed fairly properly towards same-handed hitting with a 3.71 ERA and a 3.21 FIP. Whereas his strikeout charge has suffered towards hitters from each side of the plate this 12 months, he nonetheless generates grounders as successfully as ever towards southpaws with a superb 55.1% clip towards lefty bats this season. That ought to assist to take stress off the Philly bullpen’s different two lefties, Matt Strahm and Tanner Banks, and permit them for use in additional versatile roles by supervisor Rob Thomson going ahead with Alvarado again to face robust pockets of southpaws within the opposing lineup.
Except for Alvarado’s worth as a 3rd lefty for the membership’s bullpen, the Phillies are additionally certainly hoping {that a} return to motion over the course of the season’s ultimate month will assist Alvarado regain the elite type he flashed the earlier two seasons. In any case, the lefty is below contract for 2025 with a $9MM workforce possibility for the 2026 season, and a return to type subsequent season would seemingly make exercising that possibility one thing of a no brainer for Philadelphia brass.
