Phillies Veteran Pitcher Lands on Injured List With Calf Strain

A calf strain is sending a Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher to the injured list.

Apr 12, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; A view of the helmet of Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) displaying the City Connect logo before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

One of the strengths for the Philadelphia Phillies in the early going of the 2026 MLB regular season has been the performance of their bullpen.

Unfortunately, that group has now suffered a significant blow. Zach Pop is heading to the injured list with a right calf strain. The news was shared by Todd Zolecki of MLB.com on X, who added that he will be placed on the 15-day IL and the move is retroactive to April 13.

Taking his spot on the 26-man roster will be left-handed pitcher Kyle Backhus, who was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

This is an unfortunate turn of events for Pop, who has been pitching well out of the gate. He has made seven appearances, throwing 7.1 innings with a 3.68 ERA to go along with six strikeouts. Five hits and three walks have been issued, resulting in three earned runs against him.

Zach Pop heading to injured list

Mar 12, 2026; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zach Pop (56) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

His ERA+ of 121 and FIP of 3.16 are also very strong. He has received a little bit of good luck, with a batting average on balls in play of .238 being recorded against him. Opponents have produced a slash line of .200/.290/.320 as he has done a great job of limiting extra-base hits and base runners in general.

In his last appearance, Pop was called upon as an emergency starter because Andrew Painter was dealing with migraines. He pitched the first two innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks before giving way to the top-ranked prospect, who ended up throwing five innings in the game.

That appearance came on April 12 and will be the last time the veteran right-handed reliever takes the mound for Philadelphia for a few weeks. Even if the right calf strain isn’t severe, it will take him a little while to ramp things back up to a level where he can pitch in the Big Leagues.

Phillies placed RHP Zach Pop on 15-day IL (retro to 4/13) with a right calf strain. To fill his spot on the 26-man roster, LHP Kyle Backhus was recalled from Lehigh Valley (AAA).

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) April 15, 2026

His replacement, Backhus, hasn’t found much success in the Major Leagues. He has made 36 appearances, including four with the Phillies this year, and has a 5.08 ERA in 28.1 innings pitched.

Backhus has produced an ERA+ of 87 and FIP of 4.41, and was hit hard during his brief stint with the team. However, he has been successful at the Triple-A level, so there is some hope that he can put it together in the Big Leagues.

Across 74 Triple-A appearances and 75 innings, Backhus has a 3.00 ERA with 92 strikeouts.