Phillies Preparing To Make Another Roster Move With Pitching Staff

Another change is coming to the Philadelphia Phillies' pitching staff.

Aug 8, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; A detailed view of Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis (not pictured) hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies are in desperate need of some help on their pitching staff, both in the starting rotation and the bullpen.

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will assuredly be working the phones looking to make a trade, but before he goes outside of the organization for help, the team is turning to an internal option, hoping he can help stabilize the backend of the rotation.

As shared by Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies are preparing for Brian Keller to make his Major League debut on July 25 against the New York Yankees. He will likely be put on the roster ahead of the game and will operate as either the team’s starter or a bulk inning appearance behind an opener.

A 39th-round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, Keller’s road to a potential Big League debut has been a long and windy one. He spent time with the Boston Red Sox in addition to the Yankees and has been overseas in Japan as well.

Brian Keller seemingly preparing for MLB debut with Phillies

Mar 25, 2018; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Brian Keller (96) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia signed him to a minor league deal in May, the first time he has taken the mound since 2023 after dealing with injuries. As Gelb noted, he has been throwing strikes consistently with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and the results have been magnificent.

Through 10 starts between Lehigh Valley and the Florida Complex League for rehab, Keller has thrown 39.1 innings and has produced a 2.06 ERA, striking out 41 batters and walking only 12.

Over his last four starts, he has been dominant, allowing only two earned runs and completing at least six innings in three of the outings. The Phillies are certainly hoping he can get close to replicating that kind of production when he takes the mound for them at the Major League level.

Brian Keller, a 32-year-old righty who has never pitched in the majors, is here with Phillies. He’s going to be put on the roster Saturday and will either start or pitch in bulk relief. He was a Yankees’ 39th rounder in 2016. Has thrown strikes at AAA this year.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) July 24, 2026

It is a worthwhile risk for the team to take to give a 32-year-old journeyman starts at this point. Honestly, things cannot get much worse for them, as Philadelphia hasn’t won a game started by someone other than Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler or Jesus Luzardo since June 23.

The No. 5 starters, which include Taijuan Walker, Andrew Painter, Alan Rangel and a few openers, have gone 5-20 thus far this season with a 7.33 ERA. As long as Keller is giving the team a chance to compete and win games, he will be a sizable upgrade over what the team has been rolling out there thus far.