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The Philadelphia Phillies have won five of their last six games. Since the organizational restructure following the firing of Rob Thomson, the Phillies have turned things around.
In Don Mattingly’s first game as interim manager, the Phillies shut out the Giants 7-0. This was the team’s first shut out win of 2026.
The Phillies’ pitching staff has been one of the worst in 2026, they have a team ERA of 4.75 and MLB’s worst opponent batting average of .279.
However, the bullpen received some good news over the weekend regarding right-handed closing pitcher, Jhoan Duran.
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After Jhoan Duran hit the 15-day IL with an oblique injury on April 18, the Philadelphia Phillies’ pitching staff has not been the same. They have only had one conventional save following Duran’s injury, that being Brad Keller’s save in Friday’s win against the Miami Marlins.
According to MLB insider Todd Zolecki, Duran hit 100 MPH in a bullpen session May 2. Interim manager Don Mattingly said they are talking about a next step, and the closer might skip the rehab assignment.
Jhoan Duran had a good bullpen session yesterday. Hit 100 mph. Don Mattingly said they’ll talk about the next step. Might or might not need a rehab assignment.
“Could you hit him at 100? I don’t know, “Mattingly said. “It’s something we’ll talk about.”
When Mattingly was asked by reporters if Duran would need a rehab assignment, he deflected the question a bit by stating, “Could you hit him at 100? I don’t know. It’s something we’ll talked about.”
Don Mattingly gives the latest update on Jhoan Duran, who is working his way back from a left oblique injury.
(Via @TimKellySports)
Since it has been well over 15 days on the IL for Duran, the closing pitcher can come back whenever the organization feels he is ready.
Before his oblique strain, Duran was 1-1 with a 1.35 ERA with eight strikeouts in 6.2 innings.
The Phillies’ bullpen ranks 17th in ERA (4.28), 20th in WHIP (1.20), and has the third-worst opponent batting average (.264).
Duran has not pitched since April 11, and as the closing pitcher nears a returned projected by the end of the week, the Phillies find themselves in good shape ahead of two home series. One against the AL West’s first-place Athletics, and another against NL West’s second-to-last place Colorado Rockies.
The Phillies acquired Duran in 2025 via a trade with the Minnesota Twins. Ahead of the 2026 season, Duran signed a one-year, $7.5 million contract to avoid arbitration.
In 23 games with the Phillies in 2025, Duran recorded 16 saves out of 19 opportunities, posted a 1.35 ERA, and recorded 27 strikeouts.
The 28-year-old is a valuable asset to the Phillies’ pen, and getting him back would only continue to improve the Phillies’ season.
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While the Phillies’ bullpen has been in the weeds, their starting pitching has also followed had immense struggles in 2026.
In November 2023, Aaron Nola signed a seven-year, $172 million contract, keeping him with the Phillies until 2030.
After a 2025 season full of injuries, the Phillies were excited to get their ace back in 2026, however, he has not played up to his price.
Entering Monday’s start against the Miami Marlins, Nola has a 6.03 ERA.
The Phillies decided to give Nola more rest in between his starts following his struggles. His last start was against the Atlanta Braves, where the right-handed pitcher gave up six runs in 4.2 innings.
Currently, Nola’s four-seam fastball is only averaging 91.8 MPH, which is 3.3 MPH slower than the league average (95.1).
With eight days of rest, the Philadelphia Phillies will be able to get a good feel on whether or not Nola’s injuries from last year have lingered into 2026.
McKenna Van Gundy McKenna Van Gundy is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. She spent two years as a sports contributor for her University's newspaper, covering games and writing feature stories on players and coaches. She currently works for the NFL as a digital programming associate and lives in the greater Los Angeles area. More about McKenna Van Gundy
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