The Philadelphia Phillies have been playing great baseball as of late, as they are only 1.5 games behind the New York Mets for first place in the NL East heading into Sunday’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

However, the Phillies were handed some unfortunate news that will shake up their bullpen in the regular season and postseason. According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, veteran reliever pitcher Jose Alvarado was suspended for 80 games without pay after he tested positive for exogenous Testosterone (PED).

MLB insider Jon Heyman adds that Alvarado will be ineligible for the playoffs if the Phillies get there at the end of the regular season.

This is less than ideal news for the Phillies, as Alvarado has been their most consistent option out of the bullpen this season. The flame-throwing southpaw had a 4-1 record,  2.70 ERA, and seven saves in 20 appearances.

MLB insider Jon Heyman adds that Alvarado will be ineligible for the playoffs if the Phillies get there at the end of the regular season.

This is less than ideal news for the Phillies, as Alvarado has been their most consistent option out of the bullpen this season. The flame-throwing southpaw had a 4-1 record,  2.70 ERA, and seven saves in 20 appearances.

With Alvarado out for a significant time, the Phillies must explore the trade market for a potential closer option.

Phillies Could Make Internal Move 1st Before Trade to Replace Jose Alvarado

However, before we even get to the trade deadline, Philadelphia has two potential options in the bullpen who could fill in for Alvarado — Jordan Romano and Orion Kerkering.

Romano, signed to a one-year, $8 million deal this offseason, has closing experience with the Toronto Blue Jays. In six years with the Blue Jays, the 32-year-old right-handed reliever had 105 saves.

The veteran’s tenure in Philadelphia did not start well, as he had a terrible 12.19 ERA in 12 games between March and April. He also allowed 15 hits, 14 earned runs (three home runs), and six walks in 10.2 innings pitched. At the same time, Romano racked up 10 strikeouts and had two saves.

That said, Romano has been a completely different pitcher in May, sporting a 0.00 ERA in six appearances out of the bullpen. The veteran reliever has only given up three hits and a walk in six innings. Romano also tallied seven strikeouts while holding opponents to a .150 average at the plate, a stark difference from the first two months (.300).

In addition to Romano, the Phillies have Kerkering at their disposal. The 24-year-old doesn’t have closing experience, but when the Phillies called him up in 2023, the hope was that he would become the team’s closer of the future.

Kerkering has a 3-1 record and 4.32 ERA in 19 appearances this season. However, he pitched better in May, sporting a 1.69 ERA and .125 opponents’ batting average in six appearances. In 13 appearances between March and April, Kerkering had a 5.56 ERA, with opponents hitting .277 at the plate.

The Phillies hope that Romano or Kerkering will step up in place of Alvarado until we get closer to the trade deadline.