Matt

Strahm

It felt like Strahm was about to blow this thing. He allowed a double and single off the bat to cut the Phillies’ lead to 4-2. Then, another single to bring the tying run to the plate. Nick Fortes put a ride into one with two outs that looked like it could bounce off the wall before Nick Castellanos – defensive standout – leapt to make the catch and end the game. Strahm and Orion Kerkering are jockeying for saves in the Phillies’ bullpen with them alternating the team’s last three save opportunities.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson handed the ball to Kerkering to protect a three-run lead in the final frame after Jordan Romano and Matt Strahm worked the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, with the score much tighter at the time. The hard-throwing 24-year-old righty made it look easy against the bottom of Miami’s order, getting Eric Wagaman to ground out and striking out Liam Hicks before putting away Connor Norby on a harmless ground out to seal the victory. Kerkering will likely be in position to vulture the occasional save chance moving forward, which gives him some appeal in deeper fantasy formats.

Strahm was summoned in the top of the ninth to close out the game with a one-run lead over the Blue Jays. He tossed a clean frame, striking out one batter to convert his third save of the season. Strahm should continue to be in the mix for regular save chances alongside Jordan Romano.

Romano had given up single runs in three straight appearances, taking losses twice, so he needed a rebound outing, even if he was rather unlucky in the losses. The easy inning tonight should keep him in line for save chances. It also doesn’t hurt his cause that Matt Strahm blew a one-run lead in the seventh tonight.

Alvarado tested positive for exogenous Testosterone, according to a statement from Major League Baseball. The hard-throwing 29-year-old southpaw is also ineligible for the postseason and won’t be eligible to return until August 19. His extended absence creates a massive void in the back-end of Philadelphia’s bullpen and the fantasy fallout figures to be wide-ranging, especially if the Phillies opt to pursue a replacement on the trade market. Experienced veteran Jordan Romano is the odds-on favorite to assume the closing role, but Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering also figure to be in the mix for save chances.

Strahm took over with a two-run advantage in the 10th inning. He allowed the inherited runner to score on a two-out RBI single by Danny Jansen and then allowed another single to Chandler Simpson before rallying to strike out Jose Caballero to end the ballgame. The 33-year-old southpaw has done a nice job out of the Phillies’ bullpen this season, posting a 2.87 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and a 20/5 K/BB ratio over 15 2/3 innings.

José Alvarado remains the top reliever in the Phillies pen, but manager Rob Thomson used him against the top of the order in the eighth tonight. He gave up one run, narrowing the Phillies’ lead to two, before Strahm retired the bottom third of the lineup in order in the ninth. It’s Strahm’s 10th career save. He had four for Boston in 2022 and then two and three in his first two years in Philly.

Assuming everything goes well with that session, Strahm would then be cleared to pitch in the Phillies’ Grapefruit League finale on Monday. If he makes it through both of those outings healthy, he’ll be active and in the Phillies’ bullpen for Opening Day next week. While shoulder injuries are always terrifying for fantasy managers, it sounds like Strahm was able to avoid significant injury here and should be ready to go when the regular season kicks off.

The left-hander said he was happy with how Wednesday’s bullpen went but knows that the real test will be tomorrow when he sees how his shoulder recovers from throwing. If he recovers normally then it’s likely he would be ready to throw in a spring training game and be a part of the Phillies’ bullpen for Opening Day. However, he also said the decision is up to the medical staff and he doesn’t want to risk anything if they feel he should take it slow.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson didn’t rule out the possibility of Strahm being ready for Opening Day, but added that he’ll need some time to build up his workload and stamina, which might limit him initially to shorter relief outings. The 33-year-old has been dealing with a shoulder issues this spring, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll miss much time if he requires a trip to the injured list.