The Philadelphia Phillies made a splash at the MLB trade deadline to acquire right-handed closer Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins. A flame thrower out of the bullpen, Duran’s fastball consistently sits above 100 miles per hour, and his splitter can run upper-90s.
Entering Friday with a 1.86 ERA on the 2025 season, Duran has been as advertised. He had yet to give up an earned run in four appearances with the Phillies, striking out three batters and surrendering just one hit. This dominance is one of the reasons Philadelphia feels it has a real chance to go deep in the playoffs, and also why there was so much concern when Duran left Friday’s game.
Jhoan Duran Leaves Game, Phillies Announce Update
Hit by a come-backer off the bat of infielder Paul DeJong, which left the bat at 94.1 miles per hour, Duran was carted off the field. The shot seemingly caught him in the foot, which despite being lower-body is still concerning.
After the game, the Phillies announced some good news. While Duran will continue to be evaluated, X-Rays came back negative, which tends team mean serious injury was avoided.
“X-rays on Jhoan Duran were negative. He will be evaluated further tomorrow, according to the Phillies,” Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote on X.
All things considered, this is an update Phillies fans can feel good about. Duran is one of the best closers in baseball, and has expressed his excitement for being in Philadelphia after having spent the first three and a half years of his MLB career with the Twins — who are not postseason bound.
The Impact of Jhoan Duran’s Injury as Phillies Chase World Series
After joining the Phillies, Duran expressed his excitement for the opportunity to compete for a World Series title.
“I feel so excited right now, I don’t know if I can speak,” Duran said (via CBS). “I feel great. It’s an honor to be part of this team. I see my dream came true. I feel really, really good to be here. I know here I have a chance to win a World Series.”
These are the stakes in Philadelphia. Winning on Friday, the team is 70-52 and first in the NL East. Losing Duran for any stretch of time could give life to the second place New York Mets, who despite their recent skid have a talented team. For now, it seems the Phillies have dodged a bullet.
