4 Phillies Pitchers Who Need To Step up With Brad Keller Injury

The Philadelphia Phillies came out of the All-Star break knowing they had a few areas of weakness to address ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

Bullpen help is something the team was already on the lookout for, more specifically, a left-handed reliever. But with Brad Keller now lost for the season because of a UCL injury, the team needs multiple bullpen arms.

Until Dave Dombrowski can find relief help on the trade market, it will be up to the players on the team to step up with their teammate sidelined. Here are four players who have to step up in Keller’s absence.

Jose Alvarado

Jul 12, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher José Alvarado (46) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the seventh inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The veteran lefty has had his struggles in 2026. Through the first half, he had a 6.82 ERA in 39 appearances and 33 innings. The Phillies need a lot more than that, especially with Keller now lost for the season.

Keller was a key part of the team’s high-leverage situation to get the ball to Jhoan Duran. Without him, someone else has to step up. Alvardo, despite all of his struggles, does have a track record of succeeding late in games.

Seth Johnson

Shuttling back and forth between the minor leagues and the Big Leagues, Johnson was brought back up when Keller was placed on the injured list. Before starting the second half, he had 11 disastrous appearances with Philadelphia.

He has a 7.15 ERA across 11.1 innings, which certainly isn’t encouraging. But he dominated with Triple-A Lehigh Valley to the tune of a 2.17 ERA across 29 innings. If he can replicate that in the Major Leagues, it would help the Phillies immensely.

Aaron Nola

The veteran righty isn’t going to be moved into the bullpen. Given their limited options for the starting rotation, Aaron Nola is going to remain the No. 4 starter. But there will be more pressure on him, and Alan Rangel or whoever handles the No. 5 role, to give more length in games.

The bullpen is going to be stretched thin, and giving more length in starts would help take pressure off the relief staff. He did pitch into the seventh inning in his first start of the second half against the New York Mets, which was an encouraging sign.

Jonathan Bowlan

Acquired in the offseason from the Kansas City Royals in the Matt Strahm trade, Jonathan Bowlan has been a pleasant surprise for the Phillies. With Keller sidelined, he could become the No. 2 right-handed setup man behind Orion Kerkering to get the ball to Duran.

In the first half, he made 33 appearances with 30.2 innings pitched, producing a 2.93 ERA with 38 strikeouts. His role is certainly going to grow, and he will be used in more high-leverage situations moving forward as long as he maintains this level of production.

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