A concerning development has begun for the Philadelphia Phillies as it appears like they could be without an important piece of their bullpen for the start of the season.
After losing Craig Kimbrel to the Baltimore Orioles in free agency, there were some question marks about who might be used in the Phillies' late inning situations throughout 2024.
Jose Alvarado seemed to be the likely choice, but manager Rob Thomson has shown a preference to use him in high-leverage spots that don't always come in the ninth frame.
That appeared to leave rising star Orion Kerkering to take over as the closer.
The second-year player was a revelation during his rookie season in 2023 as he climbed four levels of minor league baseball after starting at Single-A to reach the Majors.
His meteoric rise wasn't just for show either.
Philadelphia included him on their playoff roster and used him in important spots throughout the postseason.
Kerkering seemed like a lock to make the Opening Day roster and become their shutdown man as he looks like the closer of the future.
Unfortunately, there's a chance he's not ready for the March 28 opener after being diagnosed with the flu earlier in the month, resulting in him not being able to pitch since his last appearance on March 1.
"He was really fatigued. He’s 22 years old. We're not going to push this thing. We're going to take our time. When we think he's ready, we'll run with it. That might be the start of the season. We don't know," Thomson said according to Scott Lauber and David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
That does not bode well.
While others in the bullpen are ramping up their work by throwing in a game setting on back-to-back days, Kerkering is still trying to return to the field.
Lauber and Murphy note that the youngster is expected to see action in a minor league game later in the week, there's concern he might not be ready as camp is set to break on March 25.
This is certainly a situation to continue monitoring as the Phillies get ready to welcome their division rivals into Citizen Bank Park for Opening Day.
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