The 2025 MLB season is in full swing, and the Philadelphia Phillies couldn't have asked for a better start to the new campaign. Sweeping the Colorado Rockies improved Rob Thomson's club to an NL East-leading 5-1 record, giving the Phillies plenty of momentum heading into this weekend's pivotal series against the undefeated Los Angeles Dodgers.
As the Phillies prepare for a series that could set the tone in the National League for April, their manager has revealed a massive change in plans regarding one of the club's relievers.
Phillies to Lighten Jose Alvarado's Workload Before Dodgers Series
Following Thursday's 3-1 win over the Rockies, Thomson told Crossing Broad's Luke Arcaini that a "heavy workload" was the main reason why reliever Jose Alvarado struggled to strike out the opposition. The Philadelphia manager added that the club will "take care" of Alvardo going forward, potentially signaling a lighter workload on the horizon.
Rob Thomson said after the game that they'll have to take care of Jose Alvarado after today's game.
— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) April 3, 2025
3 of 4 games, 35 pitches today. He thinks a good portion of his command issues today was due to the heavy workload over the last few days.
The 2025 season marks Alvarado's fifth with the Phillies after being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade that also involved the Dodgers. He's been one of Philadelphia's most active relievers since then, having gone 13-10 with a 3.43 ERA, 30 saves, and 276 strikeouts across 209 2/3 innings in 231 relief appearances from 2021 to 2024.
The Phillies expected similar results from Alvarado this season, which he's most exceeded with a 2.25 ERA,10 strikeouts, and a save in his first four appearances. The main issue is that the 29-year-old southpaw has been throwing out a lot of pitches to begin the 2025 season, recording 85 in only four innings of work. He's also averaging 23.7 pitchers per appearance in his last three outings alone, which is a noticeable increase from last year's average (15.9).
As great as it'd be to defeat the Dodgers, the Phillies can't afford to risk Alvarado's long-term health outlook. Continuing to overplay him could spell disaster in terms of the physical and mental risks, and giving him time to regroup now will help him get back on track before it's too late.
Whether or not Alvarado appears in any of the next three games remains to be seen, though. Even though the Phillies want to do right by their reliever, they might be enticed to call on the Venezuelan hurler's number if there's a late lefty-on-lefty matchup Thomson can't ignore.
For now, time will tell if the Phillies have what it takes to hand the Dodgers their first loss — with or without Alvarado's help.