Philadelphia Phillies reliever Brad Keller made his first rehab appearance with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday. However, the outing offered little encouragement.
Facing Triple-A Rochester, Keller allowed two runs on two hits, including a home run to Joey Weimer, in his first game action since landing on the injured list with right forearm tendinitis.
Keller has not pitched in a major league game since June 13 against the Milwaukee Brewers, when he allowed three runs on three hits, two walks, and one strikeout over an inning. Despite his struggles, the veteran reliever remains an important part of the Phillies' bullpen as a primary setup man for star closer Jhoan Duran.
Keller, 30, signed a two-year, $22 million contract with Philadelphia this offseason after a stellar 2025 campaign with the Chicago Cubs. Across 68 appearances last season, he posted a 2.07 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over 69.2 innings. He struck out 75 batters, issued 22 walks, and held opponents to a .182 batting average.
Although it was only Keller's first rehab appearance, it was not a good one. His outing also continued an alarming trend this season. After allowing just four home runs across 68 appearances with Chicago in 2025, Keller has already surrendered four home runs in only 31 appearances with Philadelphia.
As a whole, Philadelphia's bullpen has ranked in the middle of the pack this season. Its 4.15 ERA ranks 15th in MLB. Since Keller landed on the injured list on June 16 (retroactive to June 14), however, the bullpen has posted a 5.10 ERA. That mark ranks 21st in baseball during that span.
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Those struggles could make relief pitching an area of focus ahead of the trade deadline. However, the Phillies hope that once Keller returns, he can regain his 2025 form and establish himself as a reliable bridge to Duran in the ninth inning.
Philadelphia (49-39) enters Saturday tied with Chicago for the top National League Wild Card spot and opens a nine-game road trip against the Kansas City Royals at 8:10 pm ET.
