Philadelphia Phillies Reinstate Star Reliever After Short Time Away From Team

The Philadelphia Phillies will have one of their star relievers back after he spent some time away from the team.

Jun 11, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado (46) reacts after defeating the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park / Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Phillies have a chance to make a statement by closing out their four-game series against their archrival Atlanta Braves with a victory.

That would give them three wins out of four in this all-important matchup, something that will go a long way in determining who is named divisional champions at the end of the regular season.

As the Phillies look to close things out on a high note, they have gotten some good news.

In a press release by the team, it was announced they will be reinstating star reliever Jose Alvarado after he was placed on the restricted list Aug. 26 with what was deemed a "personal matter." They are optioning Yunior Marte back to Triple-A after his short stint back in the Majors.

While the left-hander hasn't been as elite this year as he has been in the past two campaigns, sitting with a 4.30 ERA compared to 3.18 and 1.74 in 2022 and 2023 respectively, he's still a prominent member of this bullpen.

Holding left-handed batters to a .131 batting average and .431 OPS, Alvarado is weapon to be called upon even if manager Rob Thomson can't use him in all high-leverage situations like he has done previously.

What's been plaguing the flamethrower throughout the season is a bit of a mystery, but it's clear he hasn't been at the same level with an ERA+ below league average for the first time since coming to Philadelphia.

Hopefully the time away allowed him to resolve the personal matters that he was dealing with, giving him a chance to become the elite reliever he has been during his Phillies tenure.

Alvarado will be back in the mix on Sunday, providing Philadelphia with another top-notch arm to call upon when needed.