Phillies manager Rob Thomson reveals bullpen plans after Jose Alvarado’s suspension

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Phillies learned they would be without relief pitcher Jose Alvarado for a significant amount of time. The lefty had been suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for PEDs.

This is quite the hit for a team tied for first place in the National League East with the New York Mets. Alvarado appeared in 20 games so far this season, holding a 2.70 ERA and seven saves.

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Losing a backend piece to the bullpen is never easy, and the club will do its best to replace the lefty. Manager Rob Thomson revealed how he plans to attack the bullpen going forward, via The Athletic.

"The number one goal is to find another guy or two that can go into leverage," Thomson said. "Managing the leverage guys is pretty easy because I have certain rules and I stick with them," said Thomson.

Thomson plans to find another high-leverage guy to use in the later innings of tight games. Luckily for him, he has some arms that can step up and deliver in that role, right now.

"We have enough stuff in our pen. We do. Just don't try to do too much. Throw strikes. Just be yourself. And we'll get it done" he added.

When news first broke on Sunday, the Phillies went with Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm, and Jordan Romano to close out a close game. This could be the trio the club goes with, or they could look for another arm or two ahead of the trade deadline.

The Phillies reached out to a veteran All-Star reliever ahead of the Jose Alvarado announcement

Former Texas Rangers - David Robertson (Photo via IMAGN)

There is still a great relief pitching option on the open market, and that is David Robertson. He last pitched for the Texas Rangers last season, appearing in 68 games, putting together a 3.00 ERA on 72 innings of work.

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According to CBS Sports, the Phillies reached out to Roberston ahead of the Jose Alvarado news. However, no serious talks took place during that time, but it is something that fans will want to keep an eye on.

This would not be Robertson's first time in Philadelphia if the two sides reach an agreement. The 2009 World Series winner played a season for the Phillies in 2019 and then returned in 2022 after being traded by the Chicago Cubs.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom