Struggling Phillies reliever Jordan Romano heads to the injured list; Joe Ross is released

NEW YORK — The last straw — for now, at least, and maybe for good with the Phillies — came in the seventh inning Monday night when Jordan Romano couldn’t stop a three-run deficit from exploding into seven runs.

If a reliever can’t be trusted in that situation, when can he?

Clearly, something needed to be done. And because Romano complained previously of numbness in a finger, according to manager Rob Thomson, the Phillies put him on the injured list Tuesday with what they characterized as “inflammation of his right middle finger.”

» READ MORE: Phillies’ 2026 schedule includes a heavy dose of road games in June and July

The move was part of an overhaul of the underbelly of the bullpen. The Phillies also released veteran righty Joe Ross and called up Daniel Robert and Montgomery County native Lou Trivino from triple A.

In replacing Romano and Ross, the Phillies removed their two offseason bullpen additions. They signed Ross for $4 million after landing Romano for $8.5 million. Ross posted a 5.12 ERA in 37 appearances; Romano has produced an 8.23 ERA in 49 games.

Romano was getting treatment in the training room and unavailable for comment. Thomson said he became aware of the issue with Romano’s finger “either [Monday] or the day before.”

“His finger feels numb, so I’m sure it affects his grip,” Thomson said. “Who knows how long he’s had it and didn’t say anything to us? I mean, he wants to pitch.”

Especially after last season when Romano pitched only 13⅔ innings for the Toronto Blue Jays before arthroscopic surgery for an impingement in his right elbow. The Phillies believed the two-time All-Star was healthy and primed to rebound.

But Romano’s fastball velocity fluctuated dramatically since the beginning of the season. He has averaged only 95.5 mph, down from 96.7 in 2023. But he also reached 97-98 mph at times, a sign to the Phillies that his arm is healthy.

If Romano was pitching through inflammation in his finger, could it have caused the inconsistency in his velocity?

» READ MORE: Kyle Schwarber has a strong MVP case. History shows being a DH will likely cost him.

“Could be,” Thomson said. “I would think so. I would think that had a lot to do with it. The indicator for me is the fluctuation in velocity, and that’s been going on for a while. So, I would think it’s been there.”

Romano, used in lower-leverage situations for several weeks, will now be sidelined through at least Sept. 10, which would leave him 2½ weeks to reestablish his place among the Phillies’ top eight relievers for a postseason roster. It’s difficult to imagine him factoring into that mix now.

A Phillies reliever hasn’t post a higher ERA than Romano in at least 40 innings in a season since Reggie Grabowski (9.23 in 1934).

The Phillies will owe Ross approximately $766,000 for the rest of the season. The 32-year-old righty initially appealed to the Phillies as a swingman who could provide multiple innings out of the bullpen or spot starts. But he never seemed to settle into a role.

“It was really just performance more than anything,” Thomson said. “Ross is a good man, a good teammate who will take the ball whenever. But we want to get a look at Trivino.”

Trivino, 33, has a 3.92 ERA in 322 career major league appearances, including a 4.42 mark this season for the Giants (5.84 ERA in 11 games) and Dodgers (3.76 ERA in 26 games). He signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Aug. 4 after being released by Los Angeles.

It’s a chance for Trivino to play for his hometown team. He grew up going to games at Citizens Bank Park. He recalled being disappointed when he went to a game hoping to see Jim Thome at first base and saw a kid named Chase Utley instead.

“I’m like, ‘Who is this [guy]? I wanted to see Jim Thome,’” Trivino said, laughing. “I think [Utley] had two home runs that game, so I’m like, ‘OK, that guy’s pretty good.’”

» READ MORE: ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Matt Strahm on helping Bryce Harper with baseball card collecting, and more

Trivino went to Upper Bucks Christian before pitching at Division II Slippery Rock. After signing with the Phillies, he was assigned to triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he struck out seven batters, walked three, and gave up five hits in seven scoreless innings.

What would Trivino’s 10-year-old self say about pitching for the Phillies?

“I don’t think 10-year-old Lou would believe me,” he said. “I know it’s something that he was dreaming about, and it’s pretty special to be able to be here to wear red back home. It’s just a surreal feeling. When I came in this year when I was with San Francisco, I was like, ‘Man, it would be cool to play here.’ Little did I know I’d be playing here in a little circuitous way. But it’s pretty special.”

After seeing Cristopher Sánchez allow three fourth-inning runs on five hits on Monday night, Bryce Harper wondered if the lefty might’ve been tipping pitches. Harper said the Mets are adept at picking up subtle cues.

But after reviewing the video, Thomson didn’t think that was the case.

“Look, we looked into it,” Thomson said. “I don’t think so. I just think, once he caught his cleat [on the mound, leading to a balk] it kind of threw him off for a bit. But we didn’t see any [tipping].”

» READ MORE: The Jhoan Duran Effect is real so far, and there’s precedent for what the Phillies hope he delivers

The Mets called up 22-year-old pitching prospect Jonah Tong before the game. Tong has 179 strikeouts in 113⅔ innings this season between double A and triple A. …Top Phillies prospect Andrew Painter is scheduled to start again Thursday for Lehigh Valley on the road in Omaha, Neb. … Taijuan Walker (4-6, 3.44 ERA) is lined up to start the series finale at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday against Mets rookie righty Nolan McLean (2-0, 1.46).