The Philadelphia Phillies placed setup man Brad Keller on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Keller is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season and could require surgery that sidelines him into 2027. The team recalled right-hander Seth Johnson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Keller, 30, signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Phillies this offseason. He posted a 4.02 ERA in 31 1/3 innings this season before the injury. He is awaiting a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister on whether Tommy John surgery is needed.
Interim manager Don Mattingly said the bullpen will adjust internally. “Everybody just slides a little bit, that's all,” Mattingly said. The Phillies rank 21st in MLB in bullpen ERA despite All-Star closer Jhoan Duran’s strong performance.
The injury increases the team’s need for relief help before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Philadelphia holds the best record in MLB since Mattingly took over on April 28.