The Philadelphia Phillies have struggled to get consistency from their bullpen this year.
The Phillies have a bullpen ERA of 4.95, which is the fifth-worst mark in baseball.
One pitcher who has been elite this year for the Phillies is Jose Alvarado.
He has been the one consistent arm they could call on to get outs.
But, he will not be available to pitch for some time.
Alvarado suffered elbow inflammation and was placed on the injured list.
According to Matt Gelb, only inflammation appeared in Alvarado’s MRI.
Thomson: MRI looked good for José Alvarado. Only inflammation. He won’t throw for a few days, but they’ll take it slow.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) May 10, 2023
This is great news for the Phillies as something worse could have kept him out for months.
Alvarado has thrown 14.1 innings this season with an ERA of 1.88.
More impressive than that is he has not walked a batter yet this year.
After struggling with command over the past two seasons, Alvarado has seemingly found a fix for that issue.
For a team without a true closer, Alvarado took over that role.
He leads the Phillies in saves this year with five.
In his absence, someone else will have to step up and claim that role.
Keep an eye on Craig Kimbrel or Seranthony Dominguez as potential closers.
Neither of them are lefties like Alvarado but they have experience finishing games.
If the Phillies want to turn their season around they are going to need a strong bullpen.
It will be interesting to see who can fill the crucial late-inning role with Alvarado out.
NEXT: Rival Ace Gives The Phillies Major Praise