Forgotten amid the controversial win Sunday evening against the Atlanta Braves, the Philadelphia Phillies announced that right-handed reliever Archie Bradley has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left oblique strain.
More chances for Sam Coonrod and Connor Brogdon
When you lose a notable arm for even a little bit, it can give other players — such as Connor Brogdon and Sam Coonrod — chances to succeed in high-leverage situations. The Phillies should be impressed by what they have seen out of both so far.
Coonrod has tallied five innings spanning four appearances, allowing just one run — a home run to Ronald Acuña Jr. That is not bad at all for the 28-year-old right-hander.
Diving a little deeper, Coonrod has not yet walked anyone and has allowed just a pair of hits overall to his 18 batters faced. He has also struck out six batters. This is a small sample size for someone who doesn’t have a reputation for being a good reliever, but it is a great sign, nonetheless.
Coonrod will get some late-inning chances and deserves them. Sunday night, manager Joe Girardi put Coonrod in a big seventh inning. While he did give up a run, he gave it up to the best Braves player in Acuña Jr. and didn’t allow anything else, limiting the damage in the eventual win.
It is important to consider Coonrod’s potential, too. He was one of the power arms Dave Dombrowski acquired to add some potential to a bad bullpen. Last season, the right-hander ranked in the 98th percentile for fastball velocity — averaging at 98 miles per hour. He also ranked in the 91st percentile for curve spin.