Phillies’ Orion Kerkering reinstated from injured list; Nick Nelson optioned to triple A

Kerkering made the most of his time on in the injured list, incorporating a two-seam fastball into his arsenal.

The Phillies welcome another potential high-leverage reliever in Orion Kerkering, who was activated off the injured list.Read moreHeather Khalifa / Staff Photographer

Published Apr. 14, 2024, 1:09 p.m. ET

Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering has looked ready over his last few outings of his rehab assignment, and on Sunday, he was reinstated from the 15-day injured list. He made his season debut in the 9-2 loss to the Pirates and held them to a walk and had a strikeout in one inning, the seventh.

Fellow right-handed reliever Nick Nelson was optioned to triple-A Lehigh Valley to make room for Kerkering on the active roster. Manager Rob Thomson said the decision was between Nelson and recently acquired right-hander Ricardo Pinto, and the Phillies went with Pinto because he can give them more length.

“What we want to see out of Nelly — and one of the reasons we sent him down at the start of the year — was to get him more reps, so that maybe his velocity would spike up again,” Thomson said. “And maintain his strike-throwing ability. Because he’s throwing strikes right now. And hopefully those two things mix together. And he’s getting better. But really it comes down to the length that Pinto can give us.”

Nelson had a 5.40 ERA in three appearances (3⅓ innings) since he was called up on March 31. As Thomson alluded to, his control and command improved: He didn’t allow a walk, and more than doubled his strikeout rate, albeit in a small sample (from 15% in 2023 to 33.3%).

Kerkering was slowed in spring training by the flu. Thomson said his first few outings would be lower leverage, to ease him in. He made the most of his time on in the injured list: Kerkering recently incorporated a two-seam fastball into his arsenal, and believes he now has a better feel for when best to use that pitch.

He doesn’t expect to use it often, but it’ll make it harder for hitters to sit on his slider.

“It’s not like I have to throw it a ton,” Kerkering said on Friday, “but adding it in the back of their heads, one is more vertical and the other is more horizontal, and they’re generally the same speed, give or take one or two miles per hour. I think it helps a lot that they have to look left and right, up and down.”

Kerkering should see high leverage spots in the near future. The Phillies like his stuff and his demeanor, and he has the numbers to back it up. From low-A to triple A last season, he posted a combined 1.51 ERA with 79 strikeouts and 12 walks, and a 3.00 ERA in three big-league outings with six strikeouts and two walks in the regular season. He also had a 3.38 ERA in seven postseason games.

It’s just another power arm at Thomson’s disposal.

“I think we have eight [high-leverage weapons],” said reliever Matt Strahm. “I’ve said it since last year: I feel like we have five closers down there at all times. It’s a good bullpen. Nick Nelson threw really well but right now this is a hard lineup to crack. Orion is going to be good for us going down the stretch.”