The Phillies’ bullpen upgrade hit a snag almost as soon as it arrived.
At the trade deadline, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski set out to bolster a relief corps that needed help, and the club added right-handed pitcher Caleb Kilian and second baseman Luis Arraez from the San Diego Padres, then picked up left-handed reliever Brooks Raley from the New York Mets in a separate deal. The idea was straightforward: add enough arms to help bridge the gap to All-Star closer Jhoan Duran.
That plan may already be in trouble.
Kilian appeared to suffer a significant injury on the final pitch of his outing against the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 9, and interim manager Don Mattingly did not sound optimistic afterward.
“It didn’t look good,” said interim manager Don Mattingly, via Matt Gelb of the Athletic on X, when speaking about the apparent injury that Kilian suffered on the final pitch of his outing against the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 9.
There has been no official update on the injury yet, though early speculation points to his oblique. The concern is that the newest Philadelphia relief pitcher could be out for a meaningful stretch.
That would be a tough hit for a bullpen already getting pushed hard. Kilian had been in line for a heavy workload, and he was on the mound for the fourth time in six days when the injury happened.
The bigger issue is the state of the group around him. The Phillies have been leaning on their relievers heavily, and the recent schedule only made that worse. They went almost three months without an extra-inning game, then suddenly had three in the last five days.
Philadelphia still managed to pull out a 7-6 win in 11 innings, but it came at a cost. The bullpen looked worn down, and there isn’t an off day until Aug. 14, the day after the Field of Dreams game against the Minnesota Twins.
If Kilian has to miss time, the question becomes who gets the call next. Alex McFarlane is the name many fans want to see after his minor league success this season, but the Phillies have made it clear they don’t think he’s ready yet. Gage Wood is in the same bucket, with his focus still on developing as a starter at Double-A Reading.
Still, the calendar and the standings don’t leave much room for patience. The Phillies are only one game ahead of the San Diego Padres in the race for the final National League Wild Card spot, and if McFarlane or Wood ends up being the best answer, the club may have to adjust quickly.
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