The Philadelphia Phillies bullpen, already dealing with inconsistency and injuries, suffered another setback on Saturday when closer Jhoan Duran was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left oblique strain, retroactive to April 15, just hours before their matchup with the Atlanta Braves.
This latest injury adds to a growing list of pitching concerns, as the Phillies recently lost right-handed relievers Zach Pop and Jonathan Bowlan to the injured list, contributing to the bullpen struggles that have hampered the team early in the season.
In response, Philadelphia recalled right-hander Seth Johnson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Johnson previously appeared briefly for the big-league club against the Cubs but struggled, allowing three runs over 1.2 innings before being sent back down shortly after.
Duran, who has not pitched since April 11, will be sidelined until at least April 30. Despite the setback, he has been effective this season, posting a 1-1 record, five saves, and a 1.35 ERA across 6.2 innings.
Alongside the pitching moves, the Phillies also made changes to their position player group, promoting infielder/outfielder Felix Reyes from Triple-A while optioning Otto Kemp back to Lehigh Valley in hopes of sparking an offense that has struggled to produce consistently.
Reyes has been red-hot in Triple-A, hitting .333 with six home runs, 15 RBIs, and 12 runs scored over 18 games, while Kemp struggled in limited major league action, hitting just .100 as he failed to capitalize on early opportunities in the lineup.
