The Philadelphia Phillies finally cut ties with a failed veteran reliever last week. To the displeasure of the fans, it wasn’t exactly the reliever they were hoping for.
After signing a one-year, $4 million contract with the Phillies during the offseason, the organization released Joe Ross on Aug. 26. In a separate move that day, the Phillies also placed veteran reliever Jordan Romano on the 15-day IL with right middle finger inflammation.
Although Phillies fans had had enough of Ross and his 5.12 ERA this season, they would’ve much rather seen Romano get released. Instead, Romano could return from his injury before the end of the season and make a few more appearances out of the bullpen before his one-year deal is up.
Jordan Romano plans to pitch again for Phillies after stint on IL
Romano has been nothing but a disaster in 2025. Despite a few stretches throughout the season in which he showed signs of his former All-Star self, Romano has done far more bad than good with the Phillies.
After the New York Mets took a 6-3 lead in the sixth inning on Aug. 25, Phillies manager Rob Thomson decided it was best to use Romano in the seventh inning to try to keep it a three-run game. Per usual, that decision was wrong.
After hitting the first batter of the inning, Romano walked the next batter and then allowed a single to load the bases with no outs. A run scored off a sac-fly, and then the Mets hit a three-run home run to take a 10-3 lead. Romano allowed four runs in his inning of work and essentially put the game out of reach.
Romano was placed on the IL the next day with his finger injury, but he seems confident in returning to the Phillies’ bullpen before the end of the season.
“I do; I just need to figure some things out, for sure,” Romano said about his plans to pitch again this season when he’s eligible to be taken off the IL, per MLB.com’s Jared Greenspan. “Obviously, the way I was pitching wasn’t great at all. I need to figure it out and hopefully get back to feeling like my old self.”
Romano owns an 8.23 ERA, and opposing hitters are batting .276 against him through 42 2/3 innings this season. The right-hander had a 20.77 ERA and allowed three home runs in seven appearances in August.
