The Philadelphia Phillies received a potentially encouraging update on Caleb Kilian as they continue their crucial series against the Atlanta Braves.
Kilian is nearing a return to throwing, according to Phillies beat writer Destiny Lugardo, giving Philadelphia some hope that the right-handed reliever could still return before the end of the regular season.
The update comes at an important time for the Phillies, who entered the series trailing the first-place Braves by five games in the NL East.
Kilian has been sidelined since suffering a moderate left oblique strain during an Aug. 9 appearance against the Toronto Blue Jays. He threw the final pitch of his outing in the 12th inning before exiting with the injury.
The Phillies placed him on the 15-day injured list the following day after he earned the win in Philadelphia’s 7-6 victory.
The injury interrupted Kilian’s brief stint with Philadelphia after he joined the organization at the trade deadline in a deal that also brought infielder Luis Arraez to the Phillies.
Kilian made four appearances for Philadelphia before landing on the injured list, allowing five earned runs across 3.1 innings. Overall, he has posted a 4-7 record with eight saves, 56 strikeouts and a 4.91 ERA in 47.2 innings this season.
The encouraging part of the latest update is that Kilian appears to be moving closer to resuming baseball activities. As a reliever, his ramp-up process could be shorter than that of a starting pitcher once he is cleared to throw regularly.
Philadelphia could certainly use another available arm as it attempts to chase down Atlanta over the final weeks of the season.
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The Phillies entered the matchup at 79-62, five games behind the Braves, while maintaining a strong position in the National League Wild Card race.
Kilian still has hurdles to clear before returning to the major league mound, but the latest development provides a more encouraging outlook than the uncertainty surrounding his injury just weeks ago.
With the regular season winding down, Philadelphia will hope its bullpen reinforcement can complete his recovery in time to contribute during the final push.
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