Brad

Keller

As suspected, the Phillies avoided Jhoan Duran tonight after he threw 27 pitches in his return from the IL on Tuesday. That means one more save chance for Keller, who will mostly pitch the eighth with Duran back. He gave up a leadoff single and then a walk with one out and another with two outs before Jacob Wilson grounded out to end the game.

Keller got the call to guard a one-run advantage in the final frame and managed to work around a leadoff single from Kyle Stowers by getting Otto Lopez to hit into a double play. He gave up a two-out single to Xavier Edwards before getting Liam Hicks to ground out to end the contest. His stint as Philadelphia’s temporary closer is over with Jhoan Duran coming back from the injured list ahead of Tuesday’s contest in Miami.

Duran will return to solidify the back-end of Philadelphia’s bullpen after missing just over two weeks with a left oblique strain. The electrifying 28-year-old stopper was off to a brilliant start this season with a microscopic 1.35 ERA across 6 2/3 innings of work. Fantasy managers should make sure to get him back in lineups this week.

It wasn’t a pretty first save for Keller, who needed 26 pitches to get through the frame and started things off with a leadoff walk to Javier Sanoja. Sanoja would eventually come around to score on an RBI single by Otto Lopez, but got Xavier Edwards to fly out to center to end the inning on a full count fastball. Given the dicey outing, we’ll see if interim manager Don Mattingly calls on Keller again the next time a save situation arises, or if he opts to go with someone else while Jhoan Duran is on the 15-day IL.

The entire top of the Phillies pen came in fresh on Thursday, so it’s noteworthy that they used their closer early in a tie game. It was the only hit that Keller allowed in what was otherwise an unremarkable inning. The Phillies would tie the game again in the ninth, but go on to lose in extra innings. Keller remains the safest pick to close in Philadelphia’s pen at the moment.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters Duran is feeling much better and was able to resume throwing for the first time since hitting the injured list with an oblique strain over the weekend. The 28-year-old closer is likely facing a multi-week recovery timeline, but it doesn’t sound like he’s dealing with a high-grade strain that would’ve led to a much longer absence. It’ll likely be Brad Keller handling the closing duties while he’s on the shelf.

At this point, someone should probably encase Mason Miller in bubble wrap. It’s been a brutal start to the season for elite closers, with Duran the latest to hit the injured list. The hard-throwing 28-year-old stopper is likely facing a multi-week absence, even in a best-case scenario, after logging five saves to accompany a microscopic 1.35 ERA across 6 2/3 innings of work this season. There should be an official timeline from the Phillies at some point soon. Orion Kerkering has the stuff to close games and José Alvarado’s previous closing experience make him a potential option in certain matchups. However, Brad Keller is the logical choice to take over the ninth inning in Philadelphia, which makes him worthy of a roster spot in all fantasy leagues.

Keller’s addition should round out the pitching staff, though it’s quite possible one or two guys will drop out before the tourney. Keller busted out with the Cubs in relief last season, posting a 2.07 ERA and a 75/22 K/BB in 69 2/3 innings. He signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Phillies last month.

The deal is now official. Keller’s metamorphosis into an elite high-leverage reliever with the Cubs last season was fueled by a massive velocity uptick, which led to a sparkling 2.07 ERA — 2.93 FIP — 0.96 WHIP and 75/22 K/BB ratio across 69 2/3 innings. The 30-year-old journeyman fortifies Philadelphia’s setup mix leading to upper-echelon closer Jhoan Duran. He’s one of the few non-closing relief arms worthy of a roster spot in deeper mixed leagues.

Robert Murray of FanSided was first to report the agreement. Keller busted out as a top-flight reliever for the Cubs last season, posting a 2.07 ERA in 69 2/3 innings, so it’s not surprising to see him get this kind of money. The Phillies will have him help set up for Jhoan Duran.