UCL tear lands Brad Keller on injured list and Phillies possibly searching for another reliever

The Philadelphia Phillies once again may be shopping for another late-inning reliever at MLB's Aug. 3 trade deadline.

The Phillies on Thursday placed right-handed pitcher Brad Keller on the 15-day injured list with a torn UCL in his right elbow. The move was backdated to July 13. Philadelphia recalled reliever Seth Johnson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take Keller's spot in the bullpen.

 The club did not say whether Keller needs surgery, but if he does, he likely will miss the rest of the season and possibly a large chunk of next season, too.  

Keller signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Phillies as a free agent in December after a breakout season with the Chicago Cubs in 2025. Last season was Keller's first as a full-time reliever, and he excelled as a late-inning reliever for the Cubs.

The Phils signed Keller to essentially replace Matt Strahm in the club's late-inning bullpen mix to get to closer Jhoan Duran. Strahm was traded to the Kansas City Royals for Jonathan Bowlan, who now finds himself as a key piece in Philadelphia's bullpen along with Orion Kerkering.

The 30-year-old Keller wasn't able to recapture the magic of 2025 — 75 strikeouts and a 2.07 ERA in 69 2/3 innings in Chicago — in his first season in Philly. Keller's season likely ends with a 4.02 ERA in 31 1/3 innings and 32 appearances.

With Keller now on the shelf, the Phils likely will be on the prowl for another setup or high-leverage reliever to help bridge the gap from the starting pitcher to Duran.

Johnson returns to the Phillies for a fourth stint this season. In 11 games this season, the righty has a 7.15 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings. His success in Triple A (2.17 ERA, 40 strikeouts in 26 games) has not yet translated to the majors.

The Phillies return to action Thursday night against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park for the final 65 games of the season.