Sunday is a day of rest for many, but not the Philadelphia Phillies. Sitting at the top of the National League with a 5-3 record, the team endured a bump in the road today and had to make a corresponding move as a result. Recently signed pitcher Archie Bradley hit the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain.
Bradley was one of the new recruits to the Bullpen this offseason, signing a one-year deal worth $6M after he was allowed to test free agency waters by the Reds. He played in 18.3 innings last year, giving up a 2.95 ERA in the process.
The injury is believed to have been picked up against Atlanta on Saturday after a wobbly outing. Bradley could be out of action until April 21st if he is scheduled to come back after that 10-day window, but details remain minimal at this point so the timeline for his return could be bigger than that.
In his place, the Phillies called up 24-year-old JoJo Romero, who made his debut for the club in 2020 as a reliever. He was locked in a spring battle with Connor Brogdon before being sent down to Triple-A where the aim was to continue to develop him as a potential starter after surprisingly missing he roster cut.
He ended spring training with 8 innings pitched, a 1.04 ERA, and 1.5 WHIP.
“JoJo has a chance to be an elite reliever,” Phillies Head Coach Joe Girrardi was quoted as saying after the move, according to MLB.com. “But I think he has to be more economical [with his pitches]. I think he has to get ahead some more. He’s got really, really good stuff. He’s got three swing-and-miss pitches, but I think there’s still a little bit more that he can do with his command to put him in better positions to be successful.”
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire)
