The Phillies announced that right-hander Brad Keller has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to July 13, with a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his right elbow. Fellow righty Seth Johnson has been recalled to take his spot on the roster.
It’s rough news for Keller and the team. The club hasn’t yet announced whether or not Keller will undergo surgery. A torn UCL doesn’t always require surgery but even non-surgical rehab usually takes many months, so Keller should be expected to miss the remainder of this season. If he does ultimately undergo Tommy John surgery, that would put next season in jeopardy, as it often takes 14 months or more to recover from that procedure.
Keller was once a solid big league starter but injuries derailed that, with the righty undergoing surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome in 2023. He reinvented himself as a reliever with the Cubs last year, tossing 69 2/3 innings with a 2.03 earned run average, 27.2% strikeout rate, 8% walk rate and 56.1% ground ball rate. He became a free agent and the Phillies made a bet on him, giving him a two-year deal with a $22MM guarantee.
There’s now a chance that investment is mostly wasted. Keller has put up a lackluster 4.02 ERA this year, with his strikeout rate down to 23.7% and his ground ball rate at 44.3%. In mid-June, forearm tendinitis sent him to the IL. He was reinstated a week ago and made one appearance before the All-Star Break. Now it seems he’s set for a far longer stint on the IL.
Even before this news, Philadelphia seemed likely to be targeting bullpen help at the deadline. At 54-43, they are firmly in buyer position, currently holding a Wild Card spot in the National League. Their relievers have a collective 4.44 ERA on the year, putting them in the bottom third of big league teams. Jhoan Duran, Orion Kerkering, Jonathan Bowlan and Tim Mayza are pitching well but adding another arm or two would be prudent, especially with Keller likely done for the year.
Photo courtesy of David Frerker, Imagn Images
