Phillies' Jose Alvarado: Handed 80-game suspension
Rotowire
Major League Baseball suspended Alvarado for 80 games Sunday due to a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
Alvarado has been a central part of Philadelphia's bullpen this season, posting a 2.70 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 25:4 K:BB over 20 innings while successfully converting all seven of his save chances. His suspension will now take him out of action until mid-August, and Alvarado won't be eligible to pitch in the postseason. Jordan Romano had already started getting more frequent save chances of late, and he'll likely receive even more ninth-inning opportunities with Alvarado out.
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Phillies' Jose Alvarado: Picks up seventh save
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Alvarado retired the final two batters of the ninth inning to collect a save in Friday's win over the Pirates.
The Phillies began the ninth inning with Daniel Robert on the mound in a non-save situation, but after the 30-year-old reliever walked in a run, Alvarado entered the game with an 8-4 lead and the bases loaded with one out. He needed just six pitches to put an end to Pittsburgh's late rally and pick up his seventh save of the young season. He now owns a 2.70 ERA and 1.20 WHIP through 20 frames.
Alvarado struck out one batter in a perfect ninth inning to pick up a save in Friday's 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks.
Pitching on two days of rest, Alvarado needed just 11 pitches to finish off the Diamondbacks on Thursday. He struck out Geraldo Perdomo to record the final out of the night and pick up his sixth save of the season, lowering his ERA to a minuscule 1.72 through 15.2 innings.
Alvarado recorded the final out of Saturday's 11-10 win over the Marlins to pick up his fifth save of the season.
The Phillies took an 11-4 lead into the ninth inning, but Jordan Romano served up two homers en route to giving up six runs in two-thirds of an inning, forcing Alvarado into the game to clean up the mess. The southpaw needed just two pitches to get Xavier Edwards to line out to right field. Alvarado has been dominant to begin the season, going 5-for-5 in converting save chances while posting a 2.79 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 14:2 K:BB through 9.2 innings. While the Phillies have plenty of high-leverage options in the bullpen, Alvarado appears to have a lock on the closer job for the moment.
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Phillies' Jose Alvarado: Grabs fourth save
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Alvarado earned the save in Thursday's 6-4 win over San Francisco, allowing one run on two hits in the ninth inning.
Alvarado gave up a one-out homer to Tyler Fitzgerald, allowing the Giants to cut the deficit to two, though he rebounded to close out the victory to improve to 4-for-4 in save chances this year. The left-handed Alvarado has given up a run in each of his past two outings, but he still sports a 2.89 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP and 14:2 K:BB through 9.1 innings this season.
Alvarado struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Saturday to record his third save of the season in a 4-1 win over the Cardinals.
The lefty continued his dominant start to the season. Alvarado has only been scored upon in one of his seven appearances so far, racking up two wins and a hold in addition to his saves along with a 1.23 ERA and 13:2 K:BB through 7.1 innings. While the Phillies' bullpen has a long history of volatility, Alvarado is the team's clear top high-leverage option right now.
Alvarado tossed a perfect ninth inning to earn the save in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Dodgers.
Alvarado faced the top of the Dodgers' order in the ninth and needed just 10 pitches to lock down his second save of the season. The southpaw has been sharp, posting a 1.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB over five innings. With Jordan Romano pitching in the seventh, Alvarado appears to be the preferred option for save opportunities at the moment.
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Phillies' Jose Alvarado: Hangs on for first save
Rotowire
Alvarado earned the save in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Rockies, allowing a run on three hits and a walk while striking out three in the ninth inning.
Alvarado didn't make things easy in the ninth, allowing the first three batters to reach safely to start the frame. However, the left-hander would hold the Rockies to a lone run, logging consecutive strikeouts to strand the bases loaded. It's the first save of the year for Alvarado. He's expected to share closing duties with Jordan Romano, who was used in the eighth inning Thursday versus the top of Colorado's order. Alvarado logged 13 saves in 2024, pitching to a 4.09 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP and 63 strikeouts across 61.2 innings.
Phillies' Jose Alvarado: Strong start in Grapefruit League
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Alvarado fired a scoreless inning in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against Tampa Bay, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three.
Alvarado has looked sharp in the Grapefruit League thus far, tossing three scoreless innings with seven punchouts. The hard-throwing left-hander is one of several Phillies arms competing for saves chances in 2025, and his results are worth noting due to Matt Strahm having yielded six runs in 1.2 innings this spring. Jordan Romano still appears to be first in line when it comes to ninth-inning work, but Alvarado is at least working to entrench himself as a high-leverage option and perhaps even leapfrog Strahm as Philadelphia's top lefty reliever.
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