The Philadelphia Phillies 2025 season continues to unfold in unfortunate ways, from ace Aaron Nola's injury to a PED suspension from their elite closer. It was announced on Sunday afternoon that José Alvarado was suspended for 80 games for PED use. Former closer Jordan Romano could return as the closer on a short-term basis.
This means that the president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski will have some decisions to make. Romano as well as Orion Kerkering have pitched better as of late, but the Phillies will likely turn to Romano. Romano signed with the Phillies on December 9th, 2024 on a one-year, $8.5 million dollar deal.
The Phillies will attempt to reconstruct the back-end bullpen in-house for now, but expect outside additions to be made. Alvarado, 29 has pitched well with a 4-1 record and a 2.70 ERA with 25 strikeouts. But leaning on Romano makes the most sense for them right now given his track record.
Phillies need Jordan Romano resurgence after José Alvarado suspension
Alvarado tested positive for exogenous testosterone. This PED substance is a violation of MLB's joint and drug treatment plan. Romano, who was the initial closer for the Phillies this season, needs to turn things around after a rocky start.
This is a golden chance for the former Toronto Blue Jays closer to showcase the dominant presence that he once possessed on the mound. It wasn't that long ago that in back-to-back seasons, he earned All-Star nods (2022-23).
While Romano struggled at the start of the season for the Phillies, sporting a 13.50 ERA that cost him his closer job, his ERA has improved to 7.27 ERA since. Romano also owns a career 3.22 ERA. Romano also pitched in the ninth for the Phillies against the Pittsburgh Pirates picking up the save while they shut out the opposition 1-0 on Sunday.
Giving him the chance to continue pitching as the closer for the Phillies makes sense, as he has 109 career saves. No one else on the active roster has more than Matt Strahm's 11. Given the amount of leads Philadelphia plays with — the Phillies currently rank second in the National League East with a 28-18 record and are 7-3 in their last 10 games — it's important that they define the new roles in the 'pen with Alvarado out.
If Romano does return to the closing role full-time, the pressure will be on him to continue to perform well. With his recent improvement, the Phillies should be able to make ends meet without their season getting impacted too heavily by Alvarado's suspension. Should he falter for any stretch of time, expect the front office the aggressively pursue an upgrade via trade.