The Philadelphia Phillies are beginning to receive encouraging news on the injury front, as veteran reliever Brad Keller continues to make steady progress in his recovery from a right forearm injury. While his return to the major league bullpen is still weeks away, the latest updates suggest the experienced right-hander is moving in the right direction and could eventually provide another boost to one of the club’s deepest units.
Philadelphia placed a major emphasis on rebuilding its bullpen over the past two offseasons after experiencing significant turnover. Following the departures of Carlos Estévez and Jeff Hoffman after the 2024 campaign, the Phillies made another notable move by trading longtime reliever Matt Strahm to the Kansas City Royals before the start of the 2026 season.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski openly acknowledged that the organization had not adequately addressed the bullpen after losing Estévez and Hoffman. Determined not to repeat that mistake, the front office aggressively pursued reinforcements during free agency.
One of the club’s biggest offseason additions was Keller, who signed a two-year, $22 million contract after enjoying the best season of his career with the Chicago Cubs. During the 2025 campaign, Keller emerged as one of baseball’s most reliable late-inning arms, posting an outstanding 2.07 ERA across 69.2 innings while recording 75 strikeouts. His impressive production made him one of the Phillies’ top bullpen targets entering free agency.
Expectations were understandably high after his arrival in Philadelphia. Although Keller experienced some inconsistency during the early part of his first season with the Phillies, he began finding his rhythm before an injury interrupted his progress.
According to an update from Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic, Keller has officially begun the next phase of his rehabilitation. The veteran recently resumed throwing on flat ground while the team was in New York, marking an important milestone in his recovery from right forearm tendinitis.
The progression is significant because it represents the first step toward returning to game action. If everything continues to go according to plan, Keller will next advance to bullpen sessions on a pitching mound before facing live hitters. After completing those stages successfully, he is expected to begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment before becoming eligible to rejoin Philadelphia’s major league roster.
Although several steps remain before he is cleared to pitch in regular-season games, simply returning to a throwing program is an encouraging development for any pitcher recovering from a forearm injury. The Phillies will continue monitoring his workload carefully to ensure there are no setbacks during the rehabilitation process.
Keller last appeared for Philadelphia on June 13, when he surrendered three earned runs on three hits and two walks. That outing ended a stretch of three consecutive scoreless appearances and ultimately preceded his placement on the injured list.
The rough performance also pushed his ERA back above 4.00 for the first time since mid-May. Despite that setback, Keller had been showing clear signs of improvement after a shaky beginning to his Phillies career, suggesting he was becoming more comfortable in his new role before the injury halted his momentum.
His eventual return could create one of the Phillies’ toughest roster decisions of the season. While Keller has been sidelined, several younger relievers have stepped up and strengthened the bullpen. Chase Shugart, Seth Johnson, and Kyle Backhus have all taken advantage of additional opportunities and have made compelling cases to remain on the major league roster.
That increased competition gives Philadelphia an enviable problem. Rather than scrambling to find reliable bullpen arms—as the organization has done in previous seasons—the Phillies now have multiple pitchers performing effectively, forcing the coaching staff to weigh difficult personnel decisions once Keller is activated.
Ultimately, Keller’s steady rehabilitation is positive news for a Phillies team with postseason aspirations. If he can return healthy and regain the dominant form he displayed in 2025, Philadelphia’s bullpen could become an even greater strength during the second half of the season and provide another valuable weapon as the club continues its push toward October.
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