Ahead of the MLB trade deadline, one of the positional groups that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski wanted to upgrade was the bullpen.
He succeeded, acquiring right-handed pitcher Caleb Kilian along with second baseman Luis Arraez from the San Diego Padres . From the New York Mets in a separate deal, the Phillies landed left-handed relief pitcher Brooks Raley .
It was the right thing to do, acquiring as much talent as possible to help bridge the gap to their All-Star closer, Jhoan Duran . Unfortunately, those plans have already been derailed because Kilian looks to have suffered a significant injury.
"It didn't look good," said interim manager Don Mattingly, via Matt Gelb of the Athletic on X, when speaking about the apparent injury that Kilian suffered on the final pitch of his outing against the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 9.
Aug 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Caleb Kilian (56) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
No official word has been shared on what injury the newest Philadelphia relief pitcher is dealing with, but early speculation is that it is something with his oblique. There is fear that he could be sidelined for a significant period of time.
This is a major blow to the bullpen if Kilian is going to be sidelined. He is someone that Mattingly was already turning to for a massive workload, as he was on the mound for the fourth time in six days when he suffered his injury.
The bullpen as a whole has been taxed greatly. Extra-inning games have not been the norm for the team, as they went nearly three months between them. And then, in the last five days, they had to play three of them, which put strain on the relief staff.
While the Phillies won the game 7-6 in 11 innings, it certainly didn't feel like a victory for the squad. This bullpen is on its last legs, and there isn't an off day coming until Aug. 14, the day after they play the Field of Dreams game against the Minnesota Twins .
It will be interesting to see who Philadelphia turns to if Kilian is going to miss time. Alex McFarlane is someone the fans are clamoring to see with the Major League team after his success in the minor leagues this season.
He is a logical choice, but the team has made it pretty clear they do not believe he is ready yet. The same goes for Gage Wood , who remains focused on being a starting pitcher with Double-A Reading.
Alas, anything can happen in a playoff race. The Phillies need help in the bullpen and are only one game ahead of the San Diego Padres in the race for the final National League Wild Card spot.
If McFarlane or Wood are deemed the best option, they have to change their plans accordingly.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/phillies/onsi as 'It Didn't Look Good' Don Mattingly Says of Injured Phillies Reliever .
