In a move that could serve dual purposes, the Phillies have called up hard-throwing reliever Alex McFarlane from double A, the team announced Monday.
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McFarlane, a 25-year-old right-hander, will represent a fresh arm in a bullpen that was taxed Sunday in a 6-1 loss to the Mets. Five Phillies pitchers combined to throw 208 pitches, including 42 from Max Lazar and 31 from Seth Johnson in relief of No. 5 starter Alan Rangel, who needed 91 pitches to get through only four innings.
To make room for McFarlane, Rangel was optioned to triple A.
It’s possible McFarlane will be with the team for only a few days. He got called up in a similar situation on April 24 and was optioned back to double A the next day.
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But the Phillies could also opt to keep McFarlane on the roster to determine if he could contribute down the stretch. The Phillies were already seeking help for the bullpen ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline — and that was before setup man Brad Keller was lost for the season to a torn elbow ligament.
McFarlane has a 2.06 ERA in 37 appearances for double-A Reading with 47 strikeouts in 35 innings. He has held opponents to a .187 batting average. But he also has a 12.6% walk rate.
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