Phillies Near Key Bullpen Decision as Pitching Depth Tightens
The Philadelphia Phillies are approaching a pivotal decision involving their bullpen structure. With Ranger Suárez recently activated from the injured list, the team temporarily delayed a roster move by placing José Ruiz on the IL due to neck spasms. Ruiz has since begun a rehab stint with Triple-A Lehigh Valley and threw a scoreless inning in his first outing. Once he’s ready to return, the Phillies will have to make a tough call—unless they once again defer it.
One wrinkle in this decision is the surprising performance of Taijuan Walker. Originally moved to the bullpen upon Suárez’s return, Walker has impressed with a 2.62 ERA, 3.45 FIP, and improved strikeout-to-walk rates over eight appearances this season. His steady production gives the Phillies little reason to cut ties with him, further complicating how they’ll manage their bullpen depth moving forward.
Among pitchers with minor league options remaining, Orion Kerkering and Tanner Banks are the only realistic choices. Banks is a lefty, and removing him would leave the bullpen short on southpaws. Meanwhile, Kerkering has rebounded from a shaky start to the season and has become a trusted option in high-leverage situations. Given his recent 1.69 ERA in May and usage by manager Rob Thomson, sending Kerkering down appears unlikely.
The more probable candidates for departure are Carlos Hernández and José Ruiz, as both are out of minor league options. Hernández, despite lingering longer than expected on the roster, has struggled with a 6.75 ERA and high walk rate. Ruiz has been only slightly better statistically but offers more upside and strikeout potential, making him the more likely to stick around if the team must choose between the two.
Eventually, the Phillies will also need to clear space for top prospect Andrew Painter, who is currently pitching at Triple-A with a monitored workload. When Painter is ready to join the big-league roster, both the rotation and bullpen could undergo further adjustments. For now, the Phillies’ front office is nearing a crossroads, with performance and roster flexibility clashing as they determine who stays and who goes.
