Philadelphia Phillies Reinstate Star Reliever After Short Time Away From Team
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.