The injury to Philadelphia Phillies closer Jhoan Duran on Friday night against the Washington Nationals created a sense of panic within the organization and among the fanbase. The reliever left during the bottom of the eighth inning after being struck in the right foot/ankle by a line drive by Nationals hitter Paul DeJong.
Duran had to be helped to a cart as he was limping following being hit by the 94.1 mph line drive. The team and fans had a right to be anxious, considering the role the reliever has had for the team after the Phillies traded for him at the July deadline. Initial X-rays were negative, an encouraging sign, but even better news dropped ahead of their next game, according to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Phillies closer Jhoan Duran feels ‘100%’ after Friday’s injury scare
Lauber tweeted that Duran said he was feeling good and not limping 12 hours after being struck by the line drive. The organization and fans can collectively exhale following the latest news. The Phillies reliever has been a key difference for the bullpen since the start of the month.
Just saw Jhoan Duran. Says he feels “100%.” Not limping.
— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) August 16, 2025
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said the following about Duran's injury following Philadelphia's 6-2 win versus Washington:
"It hit him off the right ankle, the outer (part) of his ankle,” Thomson said per NBC Sports Philadelphia's Noah Levick. “He ran like a shot over to retrieve the ball, and then once he got there the adrenaline wore off and the pain set in.
“But before the cart came out — I know it took a long time — he actually said, ‘I feel better. I think I can walk over to the dugout.’ But we have all these steps out here (leading to the clubhouse), so we just wanted to use the cart and take him all the way around.”
Even better news is that Duran is available in the case of a save situation in Saturday’s game, according to The Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes.
Jhoan Duran feels normal and is available in a save situation tonight. More: https://t.co/G9rwQ5pl3Q
— Charlotte Varnes (@charlottevarnes) August 16, 2025
Duran has four saves in four-plus innings pitched since the club traded two of their Top 10 prospects, catcher Eduardo Tait and pitcher Mick Abel, to the Minnesota Twins for him. He looks to be the pitcher that Thomson will count on for the rest of the regular season in save situations. The Phillies manager has preferred to use multiple relievers in save situations since taking over managerial duties in the middle of the 2022 season.
Losing Duran for any length of time would hurt the Phillies' resurgent bullpen even with José Alvarado returning shortly following a suspension that lasted multiple months. Duran appears to be the guy who will be on the mound in the majority of crucial save situations during the remainder of the regular season and during the playoffs in October.