The Philadelphia Phillies are simultaneously in good shape and in a world of trouble. The club is on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot for the fifth straight season, giving them yet another bite at the ever-elusive World Series apple. At the same time, the team’s potential fatal flaws are becoming more and more pronounced as the few trustworthy pitchers they have are dropping like flies. First Jesús Luzardo and now Jonathan Bowlan are out for what could be the rest of the regular season, leading fans to speculate how effective they’ll be, if at all, in October.
Luzardo went down last weekend when he was scratched from his scheduled start with shoulder stiffness. The newly-minted ace of the Phillies’ staff remains optimistic that he’ll be able to make a difference in the postseason, but he’s racing against the clock to get back to normal before his team suffers yet another unceremonious exit from the playoffs.
Bowlan’s injury troubles seem less severe, but still present cause for concern. The 29-year-old has enjoyed a breakout first season in red pinstripes after coming over from the Kansas City Royals in a steal of a deal for Matt Strahm, but the wheels have been coming off recently. Bowlan’s 3.36 season-long ERA is rock solid, but that number climbs all the way up to 6.75 in seven appearances since the start of September.
The burly Texan previously hit the Injured List in mid-April with a groin strain and the issue seems to have popped up again at the worst possible time. Bowlan was lifted from Thursday’s matchup against the New York Mets despite recording just two outs after coming up lame on two straight pitches. Both player and club seem to think that this time around isn’t as serious as the April occurrence, so they’re holding off on shelving him for the time being, opting instead to ride things out a man short in the pen for the next few days.
Bowlan missed 15 days in April with a groin injury. He said this one is not as serious, but the Phillies will have to evaluate him further on Friday.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) September 18, 2026
The Phillies don't have enough depth to make up for an injured or ineffective Jonathan Bowlan in the playoffs
Quite frankly, the Phillies can’t afford to lose Bowlan. Despite the right-hander’s struggles over the past few weeks, he’s been the most trustworthy non-Jhoan Duran reliever on the team for the entirety of the season. Even worse, there is a complete dearth of palatable options behind him.
Supremely talented headcase Orion Kerkering continues to light winnable games on fire, while formerly elite José Alvarado has been a tinderbox all year. The next best option behind Bowlan and Duran is Alex McFarlane, a 25-year-old rookie who’s been dynamite in 15 big league appearances, but has yet to be tested with the season on the line.
The Phillies’ only hope of making a deep playoff run is to have all of their key contributors healthy and at the peak of their powers at the same time. If Luzardo gives them multiple strong starts and hands the ball off to a rejuvenated Bowlan, they’ll have a chance. Hoever, if two of their most reliable pitchers aren’t themselves, it might be yet another one-and-done playoff performance for the Phils.
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