The Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen suffered another injury when Jonathan Bowlan left their 3-0 win over the New York Mets. Phillies interim coach Don Mattingly gave an update on Bowlan’s injury after the game.
“Paul (Buchheit) said right groin tightness,” said Mattingly on NBC Sports Philadelphia’s postgame coverage. “We re-evaluate tomorrow, see where he’s at.”
Don Mattingly says other arms will need to rise to the occasion if Jonathan Bowlan misses time.
Bowlan exited the Phillies game in the eighth inning. After facing three hitters, he got a visit from the training staff and was removed from the game. Left-hander Tim Mayza finished the inning, getting the ball to All-Star closer Jhoan Duran.
With just nine games left in the season, it means the club will have to scramble to piece together innings for each game.
What the Jonathan Bowlan Injury Means for the Phillies Bullpen
The bullpen has been a sore spot for the Phillies, especially in the eighth inning. Injuries have played a role, sidelining Brad Keller and Caleb Kilian for much of the year.
Jonathan Bowlan was an arm the Phillies hoped would step up, but it’s been a mixed bag for the 29-year-old. The big right-hander has big stuff, but it hasn’t consistently translated into successful high-leverage outings this season.
They elevated him into the eighth-inning role ahead of Jhoan Duran, which once went to Keller before his injury.
“We’ll talk more about it tomorrow. But at this point, I don’t want to be cold-hearted, but you have to move on, and you have to find a way to fill that spot, which isn’t necessarily easy to do. These other guys have to step up as well.”
Additionally, Orion Kerkering’s struggles and current injury situation have created an additional problem for the club. The Phillies have long hoped he’d play a significant part of their bullpen.
Instead, an arm the team could turn to is rookie right-hander Alex McFarlane. McFarlane averages 100 MPH on his fastball, the type of stuff typical for a back-of-the-bullpen arm. The final nine games might be his opportunity to show he can get big outs.
Phillies Right Now
With the win, the Phillies keep pace in the National League Wild Card race. They’re still tied with the Cubs in the loss column, with both teams at an 85-68 record. Their magic number to clinch is now 5.
The club will need to stack wins in what’s a critical nine-game stretch to close out their season. After the Mets, they’ll face the team with the best record in both the National League and American League to close out their season.
Philadelphia will have to navigate this gauntlet of games to earn the right to host postseason games.
Their next game will send Jose Urquidy to the mound. The club claimed the right-hander as emergency pitching depth following the Jesus Luzardo injury. Urquidy hasn’t pitched since September 8 due to his DFA from the Chicago White Sox.
First pitch at Citi Field will be at 7:15 p.m. ET.
Phillies Manager Gives Jonathan Bowlan Injury Update After Mets Game