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Phillies’ Bullpen Takes Massive Hit After Brad Keller Injury News
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- Phillies’ Bullpen Takes Massive Hit After Brad Keller Injury News
Brad Keller was fresh off a breakout 2025 season with the Philadelphia Phillies , who inked him to a two-year deal over the winter. The hope was that the right-hander could be a premier setup man for closer Jhoan Duran .
Keller's first season with the Phillies has been up and down, but now the 30-year-old is facing an even larger challenge as he's set for a long recovery following recent injury news.
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The team announced on Thursday that Keller had a torn UCL and is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season.
Keller and the medical team are still determining the next steps. If he does undergo surgery, he'd likely be out for not just the rest of this year, but likely all of the 2027 season as well.
Manager Don Mattingly said they knew something was wrong because Keller wasn't ready to go after his July 8 outing against the Cincinnati Reds , but he was clearly in pain during a workout.
"We thought the next day would be fine, and it just kept going day to day. It just seemed like one day he came in out of playing catch, and it was just like, not good. So that's when everything got set in motion," Mattingly explained .
May 14, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Brad Keller (40) pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Injuries have been a common theme for the right-hander this season.
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Keller was placed on the injured list for the first time this year on June 16 with right forearm tightness. He was activated off the injured list just last week on July 8, and made one appearance since then, and Thursday's devastating news.
"I mean, it's it's tough, tough news," Keller said on Thursday.
"Obviously with the team in a position that we're in, it's like, you want to come in the second half and fight with the boys. Just tough to swallow this pill right now, but, just go day by day right now."
For Keller, this injury impacts not only his season but potentially the rest of his career. Assuming he does go in the surgical route, the reliever would be healthy, likely heading into 2028 when he'd be 32 years old.
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Looking at this injury from the larger Phillies perspective, the front office should have already been scouring the market for another high-leverage arm before the Keller injury. Now, the team needs both a left-handed and right-handed bullpen pitcher.
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