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Orion Kerkering set to rejoin stacked Phillies bullpen

Orion Kerkering has returned from the injured list. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The wait is over: Orion Kerkering (right forearm strain) has been activated from the injured list ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Kerkering rose from Low-A Clearwater to the big leagues in 2023 and impressed in a short stint with the Phillies in both the regular season and postseason. His high 90s to 100 mph fastball along with a devastating sweeper makes him one of the most exciting relief prospects in baseball.

He will eventually slot into a high leverage spot in the Phillies bullpen. Rob Thomson said before the game Sunday that they prefer to give him a low leverage spot to begin the year. The Phillies will avoid using him on back-to-back days for the time being, but the training wheels will come off eventually.

Nick Nelson was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make room on the active roster. Thomson said that the team wants to get Nelson more game reps and hopes it translates to a spike in velocity and more consistent command. The Phillies also prefer to keep Pinto for his ability to eat innings in low leverage spot.

The Phillies’ electrifying young arm is rejoining an already loaded bullpen that has found its stride.

Phillies relievers combined to allow only one hit through five scoreless innings in Saturday’s 4-3 win against the Pirates. Matt Strahm became the first Phillies reliever since 2019 to strike out five batters in a row. Gregory Soto worked around a walk, a hit, a PitchCom delay and a passed ball to get out of the seventh. José Alvarado needed only 10 pitches to retire the side in the eighth and Jeff Hoffman took care of business in the ninth to set up an opportunity to win it in the bottom of the ninth.

If there’s one positive to take from the first 15 games of the season, it’s the pitching staff. The Kansas City Royals are the only rotation in baseball with more quality starts than the Phillies. Zack Wheeler looks poised to compete for his first Cy Young, Ranger Suárez is taking another step forward and Cristopher Sanchez and Spencer Turnbull are off to solid starts. Aaron Nola’s early numbers are rough, but he has gotten through three starts in poor conditions.

The bullpen has bounced back from a rough first series against Atlanta. Alvarado has not allowed an earned run since giving up five against the Braves on Opening Day. Strahm has 12 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings, Soto has allowed only one earned run through seven outings and Yunior Marte began the year with six straight scoreless appearances before losing his command on Friday.

Many were apprehensive at the thought of FanGraphs projecting the Phillies to have the best bullpen in the league according to fWAR. Complaining about a bad bullpen is cathartic. It is deeply engrained in Phillies fandom.

But things have changed. The historically bad bullpen of 2020 collectively averaged 93.1 mph on four-seam fastballs. That number reached 95 mph in 2023. Higher velocity typically means less strikes and more injury volatility, but the Phillies have found a way to both limit free passes and keep guys on the field.

Alvarado just happened to be Dave Dombrowski’s first acquisition as president of baseball operations. No other pitcher represents the Phillies’ shift in philosophy — and the success they have had because of it — than Alvarado. He fixed his command troubles following a brief stint in Triple A in 2022 and has been one of the best relievers in baseball since then. Since he was recalled from Lehigh Valley, Alvarado has the ninth-lowest ERA among qualified relievers and is one of only six relievers to be worth at least three wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs.

Alvarado, Strahm and Hoffman, three outside acquisitions, comprise of the core of one of the most talented bullpens in the league. The next step is to consistently develop high octane arms.

There have been success stories and speed bumps along the way. Seranthony Domínguez was a huge part of the Phillies’ 2022 run to the World Series, but he’s no longer the Phillies’ most trusted right-handed reliever after an inconsistent 2023. Connor Brogdon was DFA’d and now on the injured list with the Dodgers after struggling in 2023 and never fully recovering.

But nobody else that has come through the system possesses an arsenal like the one Kerkering has. And with him back in the fold, the Phillies bullpen, which has already impressed in the first two weeks without him, has a chance to reach a new level.