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Philadelphia Phillies closer Jose Alvarado has been suspended for 80 games and won't be eligible for the postseason after testing positive for exogenous Testosterone, a banned PED, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports. Nightengale notes that the Phillies were already on the lookout for pitching help and are now “desperate” for an Alvarado replacement.
This is Alvarado's fifth season in Philadelphia after starting his career with the Tampa Bay Rays. The lefty has already made 20 appearances in 2025, boasting a 2.70 ERA, 25 strikeouts and seven saves in 20.0 innings pitched. In his five seasons with the Phillies, he has an ERA of 3.37 and 37 saves in 251 appearances. He's in the final year of a three-year contract.
Alvarado began closing games a bit more frequently in recent seasons, setting career-high marks in saves in 2023 (10) and 2024 (13). The 29-year-old was on track to shatter that mark this year as the primary closer, but now that's in jeopardy with this suspension. Philadelphia is 45 games through the season with a record of 27-18, so there will be 37 games left in the regular season once the veteran is eligible to return. But, again, he will not be able to pitch in the playoffs if the Phillies make it.
Where do Phillies go from here after Jose Alvarado suspension?
With Jose Alvarado unavailable for the foreseeable future, Jordan Romano will likely slide into the primary closer role, at least for the time being. Romano was a two-time All-Star closer with the Toronto Blue Jays, racking up 36 saves in both 2022 and 2023. 2024 was a lost season due to injury, and he got off to a rough start in his first season in Philadelphia.
Romano's ERA sat at 15.26 on April 19 after a six-run blowup, but he has only given up two total runs and one earned run in nine appearances since. If the 32-year-old can fully regain his All-Star form, that will help replace Alvarado.
But the Phillies clearly want at least one more reliable arm, and one would have to imagine they'd like to get a lefty to replace Alvarado. There aren't any obvious trade targets on the market right now, but Philadelphia has plenty of time before the deadline to look into a move. The Phillies are in a good place in the standings, so they're hoping the bullpen won't be too big of a disaster until they can make a move.
