The Philadelphia Phillies placed Jhoan Duran on the injured list with an oblique strain.
The start of the 2026 season has been full of disappointment for the Philadelphia Phillies. The team received more bad news on Saturday, with their All-Star-level closer heading to the injured list.
Phillies Place Johan Duran On The Injured List
The Phillies placed their closer, Johan Duran, on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 15) on Saturday with a left oblique strain.
The concerning part of all this is that oblique injuries typically aren’t something that keeps a player out for a week or two, then they’re back in the mix.
Rob Thomson did say ahead of Saturday's game that they believe the injury is "mild," and Duran will only be out the minimum 15 days. That said, oblique injuries can be serious enough to keep a player sidelined for months.
In a season that has been largely disappointing for the Phillies so far, Duran has been one of the team’s bright spots. The right-hander has logged five saves in seven appearances, and owns a 1.35 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in 6.2 innings pitched.
Apr 11, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) throws a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn ImagesDuran’s stuff has been as strong this year as it has been throughout his career, too.
The 28-year-old’s fastball velocity ranks in the 94th percentile with an average velo of 98.2 mph. He also has a chase rate of 38.3 percent (94th percentile), whiff-rate of 36.5 percent (92nd percentile), and strikeout rate of 33.3 percent (90th percentile). Plus, he’s yet to give up a walk this season.
The Phillies had been looking for a reliable ninth-inning option for years, and they finally found that at the deadline last year when they traded for Duran from the Minnesota Twins. Now, Philadelphia is back to piecing together the ninth inning by committee and matchup.
Losing Duran to the injured list is just the latest hit that the Phillies’ bullpen has taken in the matter of a week. Zach Pop also landed on the injured list just a few days ago with a right calf strain.
The Phillies already rank 20th in MLB with a team reliever ERA of 4.58. Now they’re losing two of their more reliable bullpen arms in Duran and Pop for what could be extended absences.
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