The Philadelphia Phillies opened a series with the New York Mets on Thursday night and won the game 3-0 to improve to 85-68 overall.
However, in spite of the victory, the team dealt with a notable injury out of their bullpen to right-handed reliever Jonathan Bowlan, who has been a workhorse for the Phillies this year.
He exited the eighth inning after recording two strikeouts with a reported groin strain.
Don Mattingly Makes Honest Statement on Injury
While it’s still unknown exactly the extent of the injury and how long Bowlan may be out, Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly made an honest statement after losing a key arm out of the pen.
“Paul said right groin tightness, so we’ll reevaluate tomorrow to see where he’s at,” Mattingly said. “We’ll talk about it more tomorrow but at this point you just… I don’t want to be cold hearted but you got to move on and you have to find a way to fill that spot. Which is not necessarily easy to do, but that means other guys got to step up, that’s all.”
“That means other guys got to step up, that’s all.”
Don Mattingly says other arms will need to rise to the occasion if Jonathan Bowlan misses time. pic.twitter.com/5FnoNJ2Mjv
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) September 18, 2026
Bowlan’s 2026 Season
In his fourth MLB season, but first with the Phillies after spending the last three years with the Kansas City Royals, Bowlan has been one of the best arms out of Philadelphia’s pen.
He’s appeared in 59 games, and across 56.1 innings pitched, he holds a 2-2 record with a 3.36 ERA, 73 strikeouts, and two saves.
Looking at the Phillies
Philadelphia is still trying to chase the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, trailing them by 4.0 games with nine regular-season games remaining.
The Phillies also want the top Wild Card spot, which would give them home-field advantage in a best-of-three Wild Card Series, but they remain tied with the Chicago Cubs for that spot.
Don Mattingly Makes Honest Statement on Phillies Unfortunate Injury News