Jose Alvarado was in his normal, playful mood after the Phillies’ victory on Tuesday, moments after head coach Rob Thompson revealed he was unavailable due to a tight left wrist.
Alvarado said he hopes to show up on Wednesday and be ready to walk out of the room.
This has not been the case and will not be for a short while. Phils on Wednesday put his dominant left-hander on his 15-day injured list with a sore left elbow.
But they got good news after the match. Additional tests showed nothing more than inflammation. Alvarado will be locked out of pitching baseball for a few days, and while he will go with the team on their upcoming six-game road trip to Colorado and San Francisco, it doesn’t look like he’ll be activated for the first qualifying May 23 start.
Thompson said after the Phils’ 2-1 win over the Blue Jays.
Thompson admitted earlier today that he’s worried. Alvarado is an integral part of the Phillies pitching team.
“Well, yeah, I mean, it’s a big part of the bullpen,” Thompson said. “He’s one of the best relievers in baseball, if not the best. Yeah, I’m a little worried for sure.”
It’s always worrying when a pitcher comes in with an elbow injury, especially a pitcher who throws 100mph consistently and has a great effort like Alvarado. He hasn’t played very hard this season, appearing in 14 of the Phillies’ first 36 games. That’s the pace for a full 63-game season, a mark he’s achieved three times in his career. It has only been used in consecutive games once.
“I don’t even know what to say,” Alvarado said. “It’s a very difficult game and unfortunately we can’t control everything.
“I’m happy. I’m happy to see my teammates win. It’s a little soreness in my elbow, two days of rest and that’s it.”
Alvarado was basically splitting setup and approaching duties with Craig Kimbrell. If the eighth inning of a close game delivered tough left-handed encounters, it would go to Alvarado. If there were any hard right-handers, it would be Kimbrel, with another pitcher right next in the ninth.
Kimbrel appeared in both games of the Blue Jays series and had the best fastball of the season. He hit 99 mph on Tuesday and cranked out fastballs at 95-96 mph by Toronto hitters in or just above the strike zone on Wednesday. He also hits corners and throws the ball effectively.
This release from Kimbrel would go a long way to making up for the temporary loss of Alvarado.
“The pace jumped up, the crunch ball was really good and he hits, just hitting the ball in the area,” said Thompson. “it’s huge.”
Alvarado dominated the second half of last season but has never been better than in 14 games so far this season. He hit 24 without having a walk. His opponents had . 192 on-base percentage. Both sides have been ecstatic about the early returns since Alvarado signed an extension with the Phillies in November until at least 2025 that guarantees him 0.55 million in new money with the chance to earn more.
With Alvarado out, lefty Gregory Soto will fill that role alongside Kimbrel. Soto appeared in a league-leading 19 matches but five of them were less than one run. Soto and Ciranthoni Dominguez had the same right lefties as Alvarado and Kimbriel, only in the sixth and seventh innings.
It also makes Matt Strahm, who just moved onto the playing field over the weekend after exceeding expectations in six starts, even more important. Since Strahm has gone from resting in spring training to starting the first five weeks again to relaxing, he has yet to stick to a regular routine. The Phillies will not field him in back-to-back games. Thompson said Wednesday that they now feel comfortable using it two to three times a week, depending on how many pitches are thrown.
Injury notes
• Andrew Pilati was brought back from the injured list as the opposite transfer to Alvarado’s position at IL. Pelatti missed three weeks with triceps tendinitis after appearing 10 times in the Phillies’ first 20 games.
• Kyle Schwarber returned to the lineup and left field Wednesday, the day after he sustained a bruised left foot. He committed a left-footed ball in the sixth inning on Tuesday and was pulled to start the next inning. Thompson said Schwarber came out of the pre-game check well and will be watched closely during batting practice.
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