Philadelphia Phillies reliever José Alvarado is due back from his suspension as early as Aug. 19 against the Seattle Mariners. He's currently preparing for a minor-league rehab assignment before stepping on a major league mound.
On Tuesday, Alvarado issued a statement for the first time since his suspension. It'll be great to have Alvarado back, but unfortunately it won't make Phillies fans as happy as they could have been, given his ineligibility for the postseason.
Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado issued a statement about his suspension as he gets sent to return soon.
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) August 5, 2025
Jose says he made a mistake and he apologizes to the Phillies and fans pic.twitter.com/BnqEBK0ZTF
Alvarado failed a drug test and was handed an 80-game suspension back in May from a positive test conducted in March that contained exogenous testosterone. Alvarado's statement was very apologetic to fans along with friends and family of his native Venezuela, per MLB.com's Paul Casella. It's reassuring to hear his heartfelt apology, but the wound is much too fresh to still think about this being just some oversight on his part.
José Alvarado's remorse won't make Phillies fans feel better in October
It's great to have Alvarado back on the mound, but it won't make Phillies fans feel the same as when he was pitching before the suspension. It's important to have another top bullpen arm, but it leaves him with roughly six weeks with the club before he has to sit out for the postseason.
Alvarado will get to play out the rest of this year, but not for when the games mean the most, in October. Alvarado has never been the official closer for the Phillies since he signed in 2021, but he did carry some of the biggest moments on his shoulders during the most recent playoff runs. The Phillies nor Alvarado will get that chance now, at least for 2025.
His future is also uncertain, with him having a $9 million club option with only a $500,000 buyout, per Spotrac. It remains to be seen what happens after Alvarado completes his 2025 season, but he'll be waiting on the sideline like the rest of Phillies fans waiting out on what could have been another postseason moment for him.
Alvarado was having a solid year before he was sidelined (subscription required), per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. He has a 4-1 record, 2.70 ERA, seven saves and 25 strikeouts through 20 games. His 0.7 bWAR in 2025 was also on pace to break his single-season record of 1.2 he set in 2023 when he posted a 1.74 ERA and 64 strikeouts through 42 games.
The Phillies' bullpen was left to pick up the pieces after the unexpected absence of Alvarado. They lost a top arm and suffered because of it. Since his last appearance back on May 16, the bullpen ranks 18th with a 4.24 ERA. As a result, the Phillies luckily went out and got electric closer Jhoan Duran. The Phillies will just have to manage in the playoffs just like they did the previous 80 games, with what they have now.