Matt Strahm will see less playing time
After signing a two-year deal with the Phillies in December 2022, Matt Strahm served as a “jack-of-all-trades” pitcher for the team in 2023. Whether he was starting, acting as an opener, being a middle-inning bulk reliever, shutting down opposing hitters as a setup man, or even closing out a game or two, he managed to do it all and quite effectively.
This season has been a coming-out party for the nine-year MLB veteran. Serving primarily as a reliever, he has taken his game to another level. He was practically unhittable in his first 32 games of the year, posting a jaw-dropping 0.86 ERA while giving up just 19 hits, four walks and 40 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings pitched. In doing so, Strahm earned his first-ever All-Star nod in the process.
However, Strahm has surprisingly started to struggle during the past month, having yielded eight earned runs in his past 12 appearances. Perhaps fatigue is beginning to be a factor for the 32-year-old, as he is currently only 12 appearances away from his career-high of 56, just set last season.
The Phillies' recent trade acquisition of left-handed reliever Tanner Banks from the Chicago White Sox, giving the Phillies a lefty specialist in the bullpen, it should help ease the load on Strahm going forward so that he can get back to his effective ways.