Before Monday's series against the Chicago Cubs began, the Philadelphia Phillies placed RHP Jonathan Bowlan on the 15-Day IL with a groin strain. The Phillies recalled RHP Seth Johnson from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
When the Philadelphia Phillies traded former All-Star Matt Strahm for middle reliever Jonathan Bowlan, many were confused by the move. Bowlan's early returns made things clearer and more reasonable. Bowlan began the season by allowing three runs in two of his first three outings.
In his last four, he's been scoreless with six strikeouts.
The Phillies obviously saw something in the 29-year-old. He featured a fastball that sat around 96 MPH with the Kansas City Royals. Early in 2026, he was averaging over 97 MPH on his 4-seamer and sinker.
In his pre-game press conference, Manager Rob Thomson explained that the injury was exacerbated before Monday's game. "He actually felt it after the outing," explained Thomson. "He came in here and tried to stretch it out and just kind of made it a little bit worse."
He stated that the Phillies and their medical staff expect him to spend the minimum 15 days on the IL. The injury was described as "very mild".
Seth Johnson had a wonderful start to the Triple-A season for Lehigh Valley.
In six innings, he struck out 11 and walked three.
Thomson mentioned that he's been throwing more strikes and his off-speed offerings have looked better. In his last major league stint, Johnson was averaging 97 MPH on his fastball. He'll most likely get a look in lower leverage situations until Bowlan returns.
Aside from a struggling José Alvarado, the Phillies have featured a strong bullpen to start the 2026 season.
