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José Alvarado placed on 15-day injured list

Jose Alvarado is headed to the injured list. (Cheryl Pursell/Phillies Nation)

The Philadelphia Phillies will be without their best reliever — and perhaps the best player on their team right now — at least for a little while.

Reliever José Alvarado was placed on the 15-day injured list before Wednesday afternoon’s game with left elbow inflammation. The move is retroactive to May 8.

To take his place, the Phillies have recalled RHP Andrew Bellatti, who had been on a rehab stint as he attempted to return from right triceps tendinitis.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson revealed after Tuesday night’s victory — in which Alvarado wasn’t used in a save situation — that the hard-throwing lefty had experienced left wrist tightness when throwing in the afternoon.

For his part, Alvarado seemed in good spirits after the game, and suggested that he was hopeful he would be able to pitch Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

But Alvarado underwent an MRI and it showed inflammation in his left elbow. The 27-year-old was seeing a doctor early Wednesday afternoon, and the Phillies hope to learn more about his status.

“When the wrist was tight, we wanted to check everything out,” Thomson said in his pregame media session Wednesday. “So that’s why we did the MRI and that’s what we found. That’s where the pain is coming from.”

Alvarado — typically accommodating to the media — wasn’t available to speak before the game, seemingly because he was getting ready to see the doctor.

Thomson acknowledged that there’s always concern when a pitcher that is this important is dealing with any sort of arm pain.

“He’s one of the best relievers in baseball, if not the best. So yeah, I’m a little concerned, for sure,” Thomson admitted.