The Philadelphia Phillies made several changes to their bullpen before Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets at Citi Field. The team released right-handed pitcher Joe Ross and placed reliever Jordan Romano on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his right middle finger.
To fill the roster spots, the Phillies called up right-handers Lou Trivino and Daniel Robert from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Manager Rob Thomson said he learned about Romano’s finger issue recently, though he was unsure of how it started. He noted that Romano’s fastball velocity had varied in recent outings, reaching as high as 97 mph but dropping to 93.2 mph during his last appearance on Monday. Thomson attributed this inconsistency to the injury affecting Romano’s grip.
“I would think that had a lot to do with it,” Thomson said. “… The indicator for me is the fluctuation in velocity. That’s been going on for a while.”
Romano has struggled this season after signing with Philadelphia in December as a high-leverage option out of the bullpen. Following an outing where he allowed four runs in one inning on Monday, his ERA rose to 8.23 over 42 2/3 innings—one of the highest among pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings this year.
Ross, another offseason addition, came in after Romano on Monday and gave up three runs in the eighth inning. Over 37 games with Philadelphia, mostly as a reliever, Ross posted a 5.12 ERA.
“Just performance, more than anything,” Thomson said regarding Ross’ release. “Ross is a good man, good teammate, took the ball whenever. We wanted to get a look at Trivino.”
Trivino joined Philadelphia as a Minor League free agent earlier this month and pitched eight scoreless innings across seven appearances at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He features a four-pitch mix and has averaged between 95-96 mph with his fastball. This season at the Major League level with San Francisco and Los Angeles (Dodgers), Trivino recorded a 4.42 ERA over 37 games after returning from Tommy John surgery.
“The stuff is good,” Thomson said about Trivino’s performance since joining the organization. “He’s been throwing the ball well.”
Robert returns after making 12 relief appearances for Philadelphia earlier this year, during which he posted a 5.79 ERA.
The additions of Trivino and Robert come as Philadelphia continues to adjust its bullpen following moves made at the trade deadline—including acquiring closer Jhoan Duran and reinstating José Alvarado—as well as calling up veteran David Robertson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Since August 1st, Phillies relievers have combined for an ERA of 4.23—a mark tied for seventeenth best in Major League Baseball alongside Chicago White Sox relievers (https://www.mlb.com/stats/team?group=pitching&statType=relief&sortState=asc).
