The Philadelphia Phillies announced the following changes to the bullpen ahead of Tuesday’s matchup with the New York Mets. Lou Trivino and Daniel Robert were called up following the release of Joe Ross. Jordan Romano was placed on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his right middle finger.
Breaking down the pitchers
Romano and Ross were looked at as the two major offseason acquisitions for the Phillies’ bullpen. The pair have struggled this year, throwing a combined 93.2 innings for the Phillies while posting respective ERA’s of 8.23 and 5.12. Monday evening, the pair allowed seven earned runs in two innings of work in the Phillies’ 13-3 loss to the Mets.
Trivino, 33, will be on his third active roster of the 2025 season after brief stints with the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. With his first two teams, Trivino combined to pitch a 4.42 ERA in 38.2 innings of work. His last appearance in the Major Leagues came on July 20, seven days before the Dodgers released him. The former NCAA Division II athlete out of PSAC school Slippery Rock University was signed by the Phillies on August 4, and threw seven scoreless innings across six appearances with Lehigh Valley. Trivino was once a closer for the then Oakland Athletics and owns a 3.92 ERA over six years of work.
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Robert, meanwhile, rejoins the team after being optioned to Lehigh Valley after his recovery from a blister, also to his middle finger. Robert had pitched well, turning in seven scoreless outings after his last call to the big leagues in July before allowing five earned runs over two appearances against the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox.
What this means for the Phillies
Today’s moves are essentially a white flag from the Phillies that their two main offseason bullpen acquisitions ended in failure. Romano and Ross, paid a combined $12.5 million, did not help move the needle for Philadelphia. Robert and Trivino will likely take the mound in low-leverage situations as the contingent of Matt Strahm, José Alvarado, and Orion Kerkering are trusted to get the ball in the hands of closer Jhoan Duran.
The Phillies are back in action tonight in game two of their three-game set at the New York Mets. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.
