Brad Keller knew something was wrong a few weeks ago when he rolled over in bed, reached for the pillow, and felt an ache in his right elbow.
Read more Early reactions to the Jaylen Brown-Paul George trade: ‘The East offseason is crazy’
When he pitched, though, everything seemed normal.
But the right-handed reliever reached a tipping point on June 14. He threw 32 pitches and gave up three runs in the eighth inning the night before in a Phillies victory in Milwaukee, then woke up and couldn’t straighten his elbow.
So, Wednesday was an important day for Keller. After facing hitters for the first time in 2½ weeks in live batting practice, he was eager to see how his arm bounced back. Keller has been on the injured list since June 16 (retroactive to June 14) with right forearm tendinitis.
“It’s a night-and-day difference,” Keller said. “Like even just waking up, I remember there would be times where I’d grab a pillow and it would hurt. Today I didn’t have any of that, so I’m really happy with that.”
Next up: Keller will pitch in a minor league game Friday night, interim manager Don Mattingly said. Depending on how he responds, he could be reinstated from the injured list after that.
Regardless, the Phillies expect Keller to return before the All-Star break.
“If it continues on this path, for sure,” Mattingly said. “He hasn’t been down very long, and he was throwing fairly quickly. I don’t know why you would need a ton of outings down there. So, yeah, if everything goes good, I think we would get him back before the break.”
It will represent a boost for a bullpen that has been tested lately. The Phillies signed Keller to a two-year, $22 million contract in the offseason to fortify the bridge to closer Jhoan Duran. In his absence, the bullpen has posted a 4.26 ERA compared to 3.98 before he was sidelined.
Keller overcame a rocky start and had allowed three earned runs over 12⅔ innings in a span of 13 appearances before the blowup in Milwaukee. Overall, the 30-year-old righty has a 4.15 ERA in 31 appearances.
“We were kind of pinpointing some things that I was doing, more so [pitch] usage-wise and stuff,” Keller said. “And then there was some other stuff, like some mechanical things that maybe have led to this.”
Read more Trea Turner’s hot bat sets the tone vs. Pirates ace Paul Skenes in Phillies’ 10-6 win
Keller said he began feeling an unusual amount of soreness after back-to-back appearances in Boston in mid-May. It would surface when he played catch before games, subside, and then come back.
“Last year, I literally was never sore,” he said. “And this year, I was battling with this stuff, and all of a sudden, something mechanically is not right.”
Keller will return a little less than a month before the Aug. 3 trade deadline and could inform the Phillies’ approach. They have other needs, including a right-handed bat and back-end starter. If Keller pitches well upon his return, it would lessen the need for another late-inning reliever.
Crawford adjusts
Justin Crawford hit .322 in the minors, including .334 last season in triple A to win the International League batting title.
It hasn’t gone as smoothly in the majors.
Crawford got off to a promising start, then slumped as the league adjusted to him. But he has worked with hitting coach Kevin Long to shorten his leg kick, even eliminating it at times.
Over his last 16 games entering Wednesday night, the rookie center fielder was 18-for-48 (.375) with a .400 on-base percentage. He finished with three hits Tuesday night, including a two-run cue shot down the left-field line in the second inning.
“I’m definitely working on being shorter to the ball,” Crawford said. “Just trying to take a little bit of that extra movement out, making me a tick late on the ball. I’ve definitely been trying to do that a little bit. It’s been good.”
Extra bases
Amid a 5-for-38 slide to begin his major league career, lefty-hitting right fielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. remained in the lineup, even against Pirates ace Paul Skenes. “He’s here for a reason,” Mattingly said. “If he doesn’t play [against a righty], then he shouldn’t be here.” … The Phillies moved veteran outfielder Tommy Pham to triple A after two games in the rookie-level Florida Complex League. Pham, 38, signed a minor league contract last weekend. … Thursday marks the Phillies’ last home game before the All-Star break. They will finish the first half with nine consecutive road games in Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Detroit. … Alan Rangel (0-1, 4.50 ERA) is scheduled to start the series finale at 12:35 p.m. Thursday against Pirates righty Jared Jones (1-1, 5.76).