Phillies Veteran Pitcher Making Strides in Injury Rehab

This offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen changed for the second consecutive offseason.

After losing Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman following the 2024 campaign, the Phillies traded Matt Strahm to the Kansas City Royals this past offseason. Dave Dombrowski regretted how he handled the bullpen following Estevez and Hoffman’s departures, so he made sure not to repeat that mistake.

In free agency, the team signed Brad Keller to a two-year, $22 million contract. Coming off a dominant 2025 campaign with the Chicago Cubs, it made a lot of sense to bring him aboard after he recorded a 2.07 ERA in 69.2 innings with 75 strikeouts.

Expectations were high for Keller, who was a bit inconsistent to begin his tenure with the franchise before landing on the injured list. However, he has started making some positive progress in his rehab.

Brad Keller taking steps in injury rehab

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Brad Keller (40) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres. — May 26, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Brad Keller (40) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. | David Frerker-Imagn Images

An update was shared by Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic (subscription required), as he begins the path back to the Major League roster.

“Brad Keller took a step forward in his return from right forearm tendinitis, throwing on flat ground in New York this weekend. Next up will be throwing on a mound and live sessions before an eventual rehab assignment. So, there is plenty of time before bullpen decisions must be made,” Varnes wrote.

While there is still some time before he is able to return, as he needs to ramp up his activity, it is encouraging that he is taking positive strides in his rehab. Any time a pitcher has been injured and they start a throwing program, even on flat ground, it is great news.

Keller is dealing with right forearm tendinitis and last pitched for the team on June 13. He gave up three earned runs on three hits and two walks in that outing, snapping his streak of three straight scoreless outings before landing on the injured list.

Phillies have developed great bullpen depth

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Kyle Backhus (19) pitches against the New York Mets. — Jun 27, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Kyle Backhus (19) pitches against the New York Mets during the seventh inning at Citi Field. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

That poor outing pushed his ERA back over 4.00 for the first time since May 18, as Keller was really starting to figure things out with his new team before the tough performance against the Milwaukee Brewers and landing on the IL.

Once Keller is able to return, there will be some difficult decisions to make with the bullpen. Chase Shugart, Seth Johnson and Kyle Backhus could very well be pitching for their spots on the Major League roster for as long as the veteran righty is sidelined.

Alas, this is a good problem to have. After having so many bullpen woes in years past, having multiple players performing at a high level, making the decision down the road on who to remove in favor of Keller is a difficult one, but it is a welcome dilemma for the decision makers to sift through.

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