Phillies’ Jordan Romano Lands on Injured List but Expects to Return This Season
NEW YORK – A day after being placed on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his right middle finger, Phillies reliever Jordan Romano said he intends to pitch again this season.
“I do; I just need to figure some things out,” Romano said prior to Wednesday’s game against the Mets at Citi Field. “I wasn’t pitching well at all. Hopefully I can get back to feeling like myself again.”
The 32-year-old first noticed the problem when he woke up with numbness in his finger lasting several hours. Though treatment initially allowed him to throw comfortably, Romano surrendered four runs in Monday’s appearance against the Mets, raising his ERA to 8.23. The discomfort returned the next morning, prompting his move to the IL. Test results are expected Thursday.
Romano, signed in December to serve as a late-inning option, has struggled badly, posting the second-worst ERA among pitchers with at least 40 innings this season. Phillies manager Rob Thomson suggested the finger issue may explain Romano’s inconsistent velocity, which fluctuated between 93.2 mph and 97 mph in his last outing.
“It’s frustrating,” Romano admitted. “We know the velocity is there. It could be my delivery, or it could be health-related.”
The Phillies also released veteran right-hander Joe Ross this week, who had posted a 5.12 ERA in 37 games. In his place, the club promoted Lou Trivino and Daniel Robert from Triple-A. Trivino, 33, recently signed as a free agent, impressed with eight scoreless innings for Lehigh Valley. Robert, 30, returns after logging 12 appearances earlier this season.
The Phillies’ bullpen, revamped at the trade deadline with the additions of Jhoan Duran, José Alvarado, and David Robertson, has remained inconsistent, ranking 18th in MLB in ERA for August. Recent struggles against the Mets have highlighted those issues, with Romano and Ross faltering Monday and others, including Duran, stumbling in Tuesday’s loss.
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