How Will the Phillies Survive José Alvarado’s 80-Game PED Ban? Inside Dombrowski’s Bold Plans to Salvage the Season
The Philadelphia Phillies just got hit with a major disruption. José Alvarado, their hard-throwing left-handed reliever, has been handed an 80-game suspension by Major League Baseball after testing positive for exogenous testosterone, a banned performance-enhancing drug. This means, while Alvarado can technically come back mid-August, he won’t be suiting up for the postseason should the Phillies make it—which they’re eyeing as their fourth straight playoff berth. That leaves a glaring hole in their bullpen that had already struggled to find consistency this season.
Alvarado’s journey from a flamethrower signed out of Venezuela by the Tampa Bay Rays back in 2012 to a refined, clutch reliever for Philly has been impressive. Since arriving in Philadelphia in late 2020, he sharpened his command and breaking pitches, culminating in a stellar 2023 campaign featuring a 1.74 ERA and 64 strikeouts over just 41 innings. Losing a pitcher with nearly 100 mph heat, who ranks among baseball’s elite, is a brutal blow to a bullpen that was already one of the roughest spots on the roster.
The Phillies’ manager Rob Thomson now faces the delicate task of reshuffling relief duties, leaning heavily on lefty Matt Strahm and hoping right-handers Orion Kerkering and Jordan Romano can find their groove after shaky starts. But truth be told—without Alvarado, this bullpen is seriously depleted. Philly’s offseason also saw key relievers like Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez depart via free agency, and the only notable addition in Romano hasn’t quite filled those gaps.
Given these complications, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is almost certainly gearing up to make a move come trade deadline. Historically savvy at bolstering pitching staffs, Dombrowski will have to get inventive this time. The market lacks lefty flame-throwers readily available, and Philly’s farm system doesn’t offer an immediate substitute of Alvarado’s caliber. Still, with an abundance of starting pitchers—some likely to slide into relief roles—the Phillies retain options, though the ideal fix probably requires outside help.
Navigating this setback won’t be easy, especially with championship hopes on the line. But Philly’s mixture of experienced arms and promising talent gives them a fighting chance—even as they face the tough task of plugging a hole that just opened wide.
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