As if the Philadelphia Phillies needed another injury here.
The Philadelphia Phillies' bullpen has been a problem all season long, and injuries have certainly played a role in that.
Last winter, the Phillies signed Brad Keller to a two-year, $22 million contract, only to see him undergo Tommy John surgery in July. They acquired Caleb Kilian from the San Francisco Giants at the MLB trade deadline, but watched as he suffered an oblique injury.
Then, on Thursday night, Jonathan Bowlan, who has struggled mightily in September but has actually been one of Philadelphia's most reliable relief arms this year, exited the team's win over the New York Mets with groin tightness.
The Phillies' bullpen was already razor thin as it was, and now, it just became even more problematic with the playoffs in sight.
Bowlan did not seem overly concerned with the injury, stating that he did not feel any sort of pop. So maybe a few days off with solve the problem. But an IL stint would take him into the playoffs, and that could be disastrous.
Yes, Bowlan had surrendered runs in five straight games — including three home runs — heading into Thursday evening. Perhaps he is gassed.
After all, the right-hander has appeared in a career-high 59 contests this season, owning a 3.36 ERA, 1.030 WHIP and an impressive 11.7 K/9.
Up until this month, Bowlan had largely been lock down for Philadelphia, and even with his September struggles, he is still expected to represent a significant part of the Phillies' bullpen in October.
That might not be the case now, which is terrifying for a Philadelphia squad that doesn't really have many dependable relief options outside of Jhoan Duran. The emergence of Alex McFarlane has certainly helped, but can the Phillies fully trust the inexperienced rookie in the postseason?
Bowlan's injury also follows Jesus Luzardo being placed on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder issue. Yes, Luzardo is a starting pitcher, so that has nothing to do with the pen, but it's just another key injury for a Phillies club that had previously been rolling toward the playoffs.
Philadelphia has rebounded to win two straight games after a rough 4-8 stretch, and barring a major collapse down the stretch, it will be in the postseason.
But whether or not the Phillies will have enough fuel left in the tank for a deep playoff run is the real question.
