Philadelphia Phillies reliever José Alvarado is close to returning to MLB action after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs back in May. The 80-game suspension announced on May 18 was not appealed by Alvarado, and he's eligible to return later this month.
Alvarado last appeared for the Phillies on May 16 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was quite the shock across the Phillies' fanbase, along with the rest of MLB. As most suspensions happen, it came out of nowhere. It is also Alvarado's first suspension related to PEDs.
As part of the restrictions during the suspension, Alvarado wasn't able to be around the team, but he has continued to throw live batting practice to stay loose. Whether there was any influence from the PEDs or not, Alvarado, through 20 games this season, pitched to a 4-1 record with a 2.70 ERA, 25 strikeouts and seven saves.
José Alvarado can officially rejoin Phillies on Aug. 19 after PED suspension
He's eligible to return on Tuesday, Aug. 19, per Ty Daubert of Phillies Nation. That would be in the middle of a three-game series at home against the Seattle Mariners. To get ready for his return, Alvarado will go on a minor league rehab assignment, per Bob Cooney of NBC Sports Philadelphia. He'll then have roughly six weeks of regular season action before being sidelined again because of his ineligibility for the postseason.
Rob Thomson said José Alvarado (suspension) will be in Philly on Monday before going on a minor-league rehab assignment.
— Ty Daubert (@TyDaubert) August 2, 2025
He’s been staying ready on his own with bullpens and live BPs. Alvarado can return on Aug. 19, but he will not be able to participate in the postseason.
Before the suspension took place, there was a lot of hope and anticipation for Alvarado coming into 2025. The Phillies lost two relievers in the offseason, and it gave Alvarado every opportunity to be the everyday closer and truly anchor the bullpen when the team really needed it. Unfortunately, his forced absence instead hamstrung the team to a 4.33 bullpen ERA since the suspension.
José Alvarado will return to a different role in Phillies' bullpen
The Phillies were left to rely on Jordan Romano (6.75 ERA), Joe Ross (5.28 ERA) and others in his place. Luckily, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski went out and traded for Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins. Duran has already secured two saves in his first two appearances as a Phillie. In 51 games in 2025, he has a 1.93 ERA with 54 strikeouts and 18 saves.
The bullpen landscape has changed in a major way after the Duran trade, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Alvarado will be back shortly, but there's a firm belief that Duran will be the closer moving forward. The Phillies also signed 40-year-old free agent David Robertson, who has yet to join the team even though he's eligible, in Alvarado's absence.
Alvarado is ineligible to play in the playoffs regardless of how he pitches down the stretch, so he'll be moved down the depth chart as they get closer to October. One other thing that plays a factor is that Alvarado still has a $9 million club option for 2026, so he may be focusing on playing for another deal, if the Phillies even want to entertain it.