Phillies Make Another Roster Move, Place Struggling Reliver on Restricted List

More roster moves have been made by the Philadelphia Phillies, this time moving one of their struggling relievers to the restricted list.

Apr 28, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado (46) throws a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the ninth inning at Petco Park / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies are hoping they found some momentum heading into their massive seven-game homestand coming out of the weekend where their offense finally showed what they are capable of doing on a daily basis.

But prior to their matchup against the Houston Astros, they announced a bevvy of roster moves that saw their emerging star Weston Wilson get placed on the paternity list.

Now, they have announced another move.

According to a press release by the team, the Phillies have placed struggling reliever Jose Alvarado on the restricted list with what has been deemed a "personal matter."

The left-hander was with the team on Monday before meeting with officials and leaving the ballpark. They have recalled Michael Mercado to take his place.

Alvarado has not had a season that Philadelphia has become accustomed to him having.

After posting three straight years with an ERA+ of 100 or higher, including a ridiculous 251 in 2023, the flamethrower has regressed to a shocking 4.30 ERA across his 56 appearances, getting credited with five losses as his strikeout numbers are way down.

Once seen as the key reliever in this Phillies bullpen, allowing Rob Thomson to deploy him in high-leverage situations with confidence he would get the team out of a jam, Alvarado has largely been unplayable with an inflated ERA over his last 30 appearances.

Mercado jumped up in Philadelphia's pipeline rankings, now considered their 19th-best prospect.

He's appeared in four games this season with the Phillies, getting two starts, and has allowed 12 earned runs over his 11.2 innings pitched.

The situation with Alvarado will continue being something to monitor as he spends time away from the team, because even amid his surprising struggles, he's still been a weapon against left-handed batters by holding them to a .131 batting average.