Philadelphia Phillies' closer Jhoan Duran came into the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals to see his first game action since last Sunday. His outing however was cut short after he took a 94.1 mph liner to his right foot off of the bat of Paul DeJong (subscription required), per Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic. Duran was then carted off the field after an agonizing six-minute wait with both training staffs tending to him. Per Phillies manager Rob Thomson post-game, the cart was more for precautionary reasons, just to get him off his feet. David Robertson came in to relieve Duran and finished, securing the 6-2 victory, per MLB.com's Drew McDonald.
Duran wanted to stay in the game Friday night, but Thomson made the right call by taking him out of the game. Duran immediately went for imaging, and it was announced shortly after the game that X-rays on Duran were indeed negative, letting the city of Philadelphia take a collective sigh of relief.
Per Phillies PR: X-rays on Jhoan Duran were negative. He will be evaluated further tomorrow.
— Charlotte Varnes (@charlottevarnes) August 16, 2025
Phillies dodge major trouble after tests come back negative on Duran's X-ray
Duran may still need a few days or longer if there's any potential swelling, but the worst possible outcome has been avoided. The Phillies can now take it slow and get him back healthy when he's ready. Their season continues on with the “Durantula.”
The Phillies' season wouldn't have been officially over if their prized trade piece was done for the year, but Phillies fans may still have disagreed with you. The Phillies' bullpen this season has been so up and down with the inconsistencies and even suspensions this year. As a team, their bullpen ranks 23rd in MLB with a 4.29 ERA. Duran now gives the Phillies a very different look with a 6-4 record, 1.86 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 20 saves in 54 games in 2025.
The Phillies have missed a star closer in their last few playoff runs to lock games down in October, but they certainly have that now. The Phillies have legitimate World Series aspirations this season, and that only adds when Duran is healthy and contributing along the way. According to Statcast, Duran is an electric player to watch when he's out there tossing 98 mph splitters and over 100 mph four-seam fastballs.
In the meantime, reliever José Alvarado and others could step in to close things out. Alvarado can return as soon as next Tuesday. Either way, it's good to have positive news on Duran. It's also good to know that their newly acquired star closer will keep the Phillies in World Series contention as long as he's toeing the rubber when it matters most.