The Phillies will be without a significant late-game bullpen piece for the remainder of the regular season.
Archie Bradley was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique before Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Bradley suffered the same injury in April and missed five weeks. He hopes to be able to contribute if the Phillies make the playoffs and stick around awhile. But his contributions over the final week of the regular season will just be as a cheerleader.
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“I care a lot about this team,” Bradley said. “I care a lot about my teammates. I care a lot about being able to play, and so when you’re injured and can’t do that it’s tough. It’s tough for me personally. It stinks. It’s the only way to put it."
The Phillies added left-handed reliever Kyle Dohy to the roster. He has never pitched in the majors. Matt Moore, out with a lower-back strain, was transferred to the 60-day IL to make room for Dohy on the 40-man roster.
In addition to Bradley, the Phillies could be without right-handed reliever Sam Coonrod for a day or two because he has a sore right thumb.
Hector Neris was likely unavailable Saturday after throwing 41 pitches on Friday night.
MLB
Bradley, along with Neris and Alvarado, has served as setup man for closer Ian Kennedy throughout the second half of the season. Bradley has appeared in 53 games and recorded a 3.71 ERA. He said he felt discomfort in his left oblique after pitching a scoreless inning Thursday night.
Bradley considered pitching through the discomfort but decided there was too much at stake, team-wise and personally.
“I’m not afraid to speak honestly,” he said. “Not only us making the playoffs, but I’m a free agent at the end of the year. All that plays into my head, but I was very close to not saying something and trying to pitch through it. But getting it looked at, it was worse than, I think, we all thought it was.
“Like I said, if there was any chance of me being able to pitch through it, I would definitely be doing that. It’s just not really an option at this point right now and so the plan is do everything we can to rest it and heal it and try to be ready to pitch in the playoffs.”
Until then ...
“I will be with the team for the rest of this year,” Bradley said. “We have a lot of young guys. Either way, I bring energy. There’s a lot I do inside the clubhouse that helps us get ready to play. I’m not dead. I’m hurt, you know? Don’t get me wrong, I’m bummed, I’m pissed, but at the same time, the Phillies have to go beat the Pirates today. And so I’m going to continue my rehab but also continue to be a leader of this team and continue to push these guys. We still have a chance to go win. That’s the only way I pitch again this year is if we go win. I want that for both of us.”
Bradley, 29, spent the bulk of his career with Arizona. He signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Phillies last offseason.