They often say that the third time is the charm, however, this has not been the case with the Philadelphia Phillies for reliever David Robertson, at least not recently.
The Phillies brought back Robertson in July on a one-year contract in the hopes of bolstering a bullpen that was struggling mightily. Robertson previously pitched in 2019 and 2022 across two stints with the Phillies, posting a 3.30 ERA in 30 innings of work.
His familiarity with the organization combined with his consistency in recent years made the reunion a no brainer at the time especially due to the struggles of Jordan Romano in the back of the bullpen and the suspension of José Alvarado.
David Robertson has struggled out of Phillies bullpen recently with postseason looming
Robertson got off to a great start to his latest Phillies tenure, as he pitched to a 1.17 ERA in nine games in August, following his promotion to the major leagues. September, however, has been an entirely different story for the 40-year-old.
He has allowed seven runs in just eight innings of work for a 7.88 ERA. After a month to forget for Robertson so far, his ERA now sits at 4.60, which is his highest mark in extended action since his rookie season in 2008 (minimum of 10 outings). His struggles have been amplified recently as he has allowed at least one run in four of his last five appearances, including three home runs.
David Robertson has now allowed at least 1 run in 4 of his last 5 outings -- and 3 HRs in that span.
— Paul Casella (@Paul_CasellaMLB) September 24, 2025
He gave up just 3 runs and 1 HR in his first 13 appearances.
Due to the addition of Jhoan Duran as the team’s closer, the Phillies have not had to use Robertson in high-leverage situations over the course of the last two months. The fact that he has struggled in primarily non-save situations this year is very alarming and casts doubt on a prominent role in the postseason bullpen.
While he has had success in his career in the postseason, pitching to a 6-0 record in 42 games, the Phillies are likely to ride the hot hands when it matters most. Some of the relievers that the club figures to lean on going forward in high-level situations include Jhoan Duran, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering and Tanner Banks. It is also worth noting that the rotation is likely to be shortened, giving pitchers like Taijuan Walker, Walker Buehler and others a chance to eat into innings as well.
Over the course of Robertson’s MLB career, he has spent time with eight teams, most notably the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox along with the Miami Marlins and New York Mets in the National League East. To date, he has a 68-46 record and 178 saves in 879 games.
In his second season in 2009, Robertson won a World Series title with the Yankees, against his current club. As far as active players, Robertson ranks eighth in the MLB in career saves, a testament to his dominance. Prior to his return to Philadelphia, he spent last season with the Texas Rangers, posting a 3.00 ERA across 72 innings.
While Robertson has certainly had a solid career, one can assume that Father Time is simply catching up with him at this point in his 17th major league season.