The Philadelphia Phillies announced a roster move during their series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports that the Phillies have recalled right-hander Alex McFarlane from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Right-hander Alan Rangel has been optioned as the corresponding move.
The move is hardly surprising, given the state of the Phillies’ bullpen. After back-to-back extra-inning games against the Blue Jays, the unit was gassed entering their series against the Cardinals.
Rangel took it on the chin in their 6-5 win over the Cardinals, pitching 2.2 innings and throwing 55 pitches. He picked up his first MLB hold for his efforts.
Rangel was recalled on August 9 to provide multi-inning coverage. With his job done, the Phillies have shuffled their bullpen. The 28-year-old was set to be down multiple days, so the club called up a fresh arm in his stead.
Phillies Recall Alex McFarlane to Reinforce Exhausted Bullpen
GettyThe Phillies have added Alex McFarlane’s high-octane fastball to their bullpen. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The recall represents Alex McFarlane’s second stint with the Phillies. The right-hander boasts a 100 MPH fastball and could project as a late-inning arm if he develops any sort of command.
McFarlane made his MLB debut on July 22. The right-hander fired a scoreless inning of relief against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was optioned to Triple-A on July 25, so he wasn’t eligible for a recall until August 9 at the earliest.
It’s unclear how short a stint that McFarlane will spend on the Phillies roster. Brian Keller and Kyle Backhus aren’t eligible to be recalled until August 17 and 19 at the earliest, barring injury. Right-handers Max Lazar and Grant Holman are also 40-man roster options for the Phillies, if they need to continue to cycle through arms.
The Phillies bullpen has hit some adversity in recent weeks. The team lost Brad Keller (torn UCL) and Caleb Kilian (strained oblique) to separate injuries. Throw in struggles by Jose Alvarado and Orion Kerkering, and the club is looking for someone to step up.
Jhoan Duran, Jonathan Bowlan, Kerkering, and Brooks Raley have all pitched twice in the last three days. Ideally, the Phillies can avoid overworking their top arms and allow them to catch a breather after a tough series vs. the Blue Jays.
That will require All-Star left-hander Cristopher Sanchez to pitch deep into this game and the Phillies offense to blow it open. Their last three games have come down to the wire, some of it due to self-inflicted mistakes and others to bad luck.
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