The Phillies won their first game of today's doubleheader and, consequently, officially took home their first series win in almost a month with an electric walk-off courtesy of Justin Crawford. That should be a celebratory moment for a franchise that has been desperately in need of one lately, especially after firing manager Rob Thomson. Even this small victory is being undercut, however, by news of an injury that's forced a roster move in the middle of the twin bill.
As noted by PhilliesNation's Ty Daubert, lefty Kyle Backhus is headed to the injured list. Veteran right-hander Trevor Richards is having his contract selected from the minors to take Backhus's place in the bullpen, a move that will also fill the final vacancy on Philadelphia's 40-man roster. The exact details of Backhus's injury aren't entirely clear at this point, but the Phillies' own press release indicates that he's being shelved due to inflammation in his left elbow.
That's obviously a worrisome diagnosis, and at the very least Backhus will be out of commission for the next couple of weeks. Backhus has hardly been the most integral piece of the Phillies' bullpen so far, with a 4.66 ERA across ten appearances this year, but his injury does leave the team down a lefty in the unit. Now only Tim Mayza and Tanner Banks remain in the wings to back up Jose Alvarado from the left side.
Phillies' loss of Kyle Backhus comes with silver lining of adding intriguing veteran
It's never ideal to lose a bullpen option, especially after star closer Jhoan Duran hit the injured list earlier this month. With that being said, however, there is a silver lining in Backhus's departure from the roster: it allows the club to get a look at Richards in the majors. Richards is a veteran with eight years of big league experience who has been a full-time reliever since 2021.
He's generally been a middle reliever at the big league level over the years, with a 4.67 ERA across 272 innings over the past half decade. Those innings have come primarily with the Blue Jays, though he's also enjoyed stints in Tampa, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Kansas City, and Arizona over the years. That resume might not look particularly impressive overall, but Richards' work since joining the Phillies organization has turned some heads.
Richards has pitched 14 innings for the team's Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley so far this year. In those frames, he's looked like an entirely different pitcher with a sterling 1.93 ERA to go with an eye-popping 52.0% strikeout rate. The 32-year-old's numbers must be taken with a grain of salt, given that he's an established big leaguer pitching in the minors over a small sample size, but if he can turn in a performance even close to that in the majors, it would be a real asset to the Phillies.
Even if Richards ultimately ends up looking more like the middle reliever he's been in the past at the big league level, it's possible that he could at least carry over his hot streak from the minors into the majors for a little while. Given how badly the Phillies need to get themselves back on track following their disastrous start to the year, even a short-term boost to the bullpen would be greatly appreciated if Richards can offer it.
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