Phillies’ reliever Matt Strahm’s availability for Opening Day could be in jeopardy.
According to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, the reliever underwent an MRI that showed no structural damage after dealing with shoulder inflammation in his left shoulder. Zolecki also reported that the Phillies will shut down Strahm until at least Thursday when team doctors get a chance to look at him. The Phillies open their season on March 27 in Washington against the Nationals.
Matt Strahm
The 33-year-old is entering his third season with the Phillies in 2025. An impressive 2024 campaign led to Strahm being named an All-Star for the first time in his career. The left-hander was one of the best relievers in all of Major League Baseball last season and posted a 1.87 ERA in 62.2 innings of work. He also notched 79 strikeouts and walked just 11 batters this past season. He finished the year with three saves but was used more in a stopper role than a traditional closer.
Strahm is expected to be a major contributor again for the Phillies and a possible late-inning option as a potential setup man for newly added closer Jordan Romano. Last season, he pitched primarily in the seventh innings and logged 23.2 innings in that frame while he recorded 17 innings under his belt in 8th innings of games last year.
The veteran resigned with the Phillies for $7.5 million this year after he originally inked a 2-year, $15-million contract in 2023 as a free agent.
Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
