The Philadelphia Phillies are approaching the postseason with another major question developing in their bullpen, and Orion Kerkering’s latest outing only intensified the concern. The right-hander surrendered a crushing three-run homer to Juan Soto in the sixth inning of Friday night’s 6-3 loss to the New York Mets, turning a competitive game into another frustrating defeat for a Philadelphia team fighting to protect its position in the National League Wild Card race.
Kerkering did not hide from the problem after the game. Speaking during the Phillies’ postgame coverage, the reliever acknowledged that he has endured a difficult stretch over the past couple of months. He felt that Friday’s outing was better from an execution standpoint overall, but one mistake against Soto proved extremely costly. That single pitch ultimately became the defining moment of the game and left Philadelphia facing more questions about whether Kerkering can be trusted in important postseason situations.
The numbers explain why the concern has grown. Soto’s home run marked the seventh time in Kerkering’s last eight appearances that he has surrendered a run. During that span, his ERA has climbed from 3.70 to 4.42, while he has walked six batters, struck out eight and allowed two home runs. Kerkering himself pointed to several contributing factors, including pitch selection, mechanics, walks and a failure to consistently attack opposing hitters.
Against the Mets, the problem came down to one badly located sweeper. Kerkering had already recorded two outs and appeared close to escaping the inning, but he left a 0-1 sweeper in a dangerous part of the zone to Soto. The Mets star recognized the mistake immediately and drove the pitch over the right-center-field wall for a three-run homer. The swing gave New York a 6-3 lead and effectively ended Philadelphia’s hopes of completing another comeback.
The larger issue is that this was not an isolated bad pitch. Kerkering has struggled for a much longer period. Since July 22, he has posted an 8.83 ERA over 21 appearances, surrendering 18 earned runs in 18⅓ innings. During that stretch, opponents have also collected 11 hits against him, while he has issued six walks, allowed two homers and hit two batters. Although he has still produced eight strikeouts, the overall results have fallen well below what Philadelphia expected from him.
That downturn is especially important because Kerkering entered the season viewed as a potential high-leverage option for the Phillies. The organization expected him to handle meaningful late-inning assignments and help bridge the gap between the starting rotation and All-Star closer Jhoan Duran. Instead, his recent struggles have forced the Phillies to reconsider where he fits into their October plans.
The timing could hardly be more difficult. Philadelphia is already dealing with uncertainty throughout its bullpen. Brad Keller is unavailable for the remainder of the season after elbow surgery, while Caleb Kilian is also sidelined. Jonathan Bowlan, who had taken on an increasingly important late-inning role, suffered a right groin strain during the Mets series and his availability is now another concern. The Phillies therefore have fewer reliable options than they would ideally want heading into October.
Kerkering has also been dealing with turf toe, adding another complication to his situation. He had not pitched since Sept. 4 before returning against the Mets, although both the reliever and interim manager Don Mattingly had indicated that he was available. The Phillies had previously stayed away from him in several important situations, including a recent extra-inning loss to Atlanta, when other relievers were chosen for high-leverage innings.
That decision-making has raised questions about how much confidence the coaching staff currently has in Kerkering. Earlier in the season, an important eighth-inning situation would likely have belonged to him. More recently, Philadelphia has turned to other arms, including rookie Alex McFarlane, in crucial spots. McFarlane’s emergence gives the Phillies another potential solution, but it also means Kerkering now has to fight for a postseason role he once appeared likely to occupy.
The situation becomes even more complicated because the Phillies cannot simply remove experienced arms from consideration without creating another problem elsewhere. The bullpen has already absorbed multiple injuries, and the organization will need enough dependable pitchers to cover the middle and late innings during a potential Wild Card Series. If Kerkering cannot regain his earlier form, Philadelphia may have to lean more heavily on younger pitchers in situations that normally would have been handled by established relievers.
Friday’s game also illustrated the importance of the bullpen problem. Philadelphia fell behind early after Tim Mayza struggled as the opener, but José Urquidy provided an unexpected boost in his Phillies debut. After entering with the bases loaded and one out, Urquidy settled down and threw 4⅔ scoreless innings, keeping Philadelphia within striking distance. The Phillies’ offense, however, could not capitalize consistently, and Soto’s homer against Kerkering supplied the decisive blow.
Edmundo Sosa was one of the few offensive bright spots, going 3-for-3 with a double and a home run, while Derek Hill also went deep. But Philadelphia struggled to convert opportunities, leaving the team unable to overcome the Mets’ two three-run innings. The loss dropped the Phillies to 85-69 and left them tied with the Cubs for the top two Wild Card positions, with San Diego joining the fight after its victory over Miami.
That standings pressure makes every bullpen decision more significant. Philadelphia is no longer operating with the luxury of experimenting through a comfortable stretch of games. With the regular season rapidly approaching its conclusion, every appearance can influence which pitchers earn the manager’s trust for October.
For Kerkering, the path forward is relatively straightforward: he needs to rediscover the command and attacking mentality that made him an important part of the Phillies’ bullpen. His own postgame assessment suggested that he understands the problems. He acknowledged that pitch usage, walks, mechanics and aggressiveness have all contributed to the downturn. The challenge now is turning that understanding into results before Philadelphia has to finalize its postseason roster.
The Phillies still have Jhoan Duran anchoring the back end, but the innings immediately before the closer remain unsettled. If Bowlan is unavailable and Kerkering continues to struggle, Philadelphia could be forced to rely on a combination of younger arms and less-established options. That could put additional pressure on players such as McFarlane to handle situations that carry significantly greater consequences in October.
Philadelphia’s September inconsistency makes the issue even more pressing. The club entered the weekend having gone 7-9 during the month, and Friday’s loss provided another reminder that the team has not been able to consistently put together complete performances. The Phillies remain in control of their postseason hopes, but their margin for error is shrinking as the Cubs and Padres remain within striking distance.
Kerkering therefore enters the final stretch of the regular season under an increasingly bright spotlight. The Phillies do not necessarily need him to become a dominant closer, but they do need to know whether he can be trusted to record important outs. His recent numbers have created legitimate uncertainty, and the team’s growing injury list makes finding answers even more urgent.
The Soto home run may have been only one swing, but it exposed a much bigger issue for Philadelphia. The Phillies are heading toward October with championship aspirations, yet the bridge to their closer remains unsettled. If Kerkering can correct his command problems and regain confidence, he could still become an important piece of the postseason bullpen. If the struggles continue, however, the Phillies may have to reshape their late-inning plan at precisely the moment when dependable pitching becomes most valuable.
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