The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to be without their setup man for the remainder of the season and possibly all of next season as well.
Phillies right-handed relief pitcher Brad Keller has been diagnosed with a torn UCL in his right elbow. Should he receive surgery it could potentially knock him out for all of the 2027 season.
The Phillies announced the move to place Keller on the 15-day injured list on Thursday. The team has called up righty Seth Johnson to replace Keller on the active roster.
Keller, who the Phillies signed to a two-year, $22 million deal in the offseason, struggled when healthy this season. In 31.1 innings, the right-hander posted a 4.02 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and .246 opposing batting average.
Keller missed three weeks of action from June 14 to July 8 with right forearm tendinitis. As it turns out, he now has a major injury to the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. This type of tear is typically the one that requires a pitcher to undergo Tommy John surgery.
Per Tim Kelly of OnPattison, Keller is going to see Dr. Keith Meister to get a second opinion on his elbow. This will determine whether he requires surgery or not.
Philadelphia added Keller in the winter to be the main setup man to All-Star closer Jhoan Duran. However, injuries plus underperformance have prevented this scenario from playing out as planned.
The Phillies, who have the 21st ranked bullpen ERA (4.44) in MLB, were already seeking relief help ahead of the August 3 MLB trade deadline. They will now need to accelerate those plans after losing Keller for the foreseeable future.
The Phillies had a 9-19 record to begin the season, which resulted in the decision to fire manager Rob Thomson. As a result, bench coach Don Mattingly took over as the interim skipper and has led Philadelphia back into the playoff picture. The Phillies, who are 54-43, are just two games behind the Atlanta Braves for first place in the NL East. They also hold a two game lead in the second NL Wild Card position as well.
