The Phillies placed reliever Corey Knebel on the 15-day Injured List with a right lat strain on Monday. Fellow right-handed Sam Coonrod was activated from the 60-day Injured List to take his place on the active roster. To clear a 40-man spot for Coonrod, the team designated southpaw Andrew Vasquez for assignment.
It’s a tough blow for a Phillies relief corps that has been rock solid of late, as Knebel has righted the ship after a rocky run as the team’s closer to start the season. Over 44.2 innings this year, Knebel has posted a 3.43 ERA with 41 punchouts and a whopping 28 walks. After losing the closer’s job in late May, Knebel turned things around, but it looks like he’ll be shelved for the foreseeable future.
RELATED: Mets Blank Phillies For Second Straight Game
Coonrod is a welcome return for the Phils, as the fireballer was rock solid in 2021. Across 42.1 frames last season, he piled up 48 strikeouts, while pitching to a 4.04 ERA. He’s missed all of this season with a shoulder strain, but will look to provide some meaningful innings down the stretch.
Vasquez isn’t a huge loss for the team, as he was selected off of waivers from the Blue Jays back on August 2. The California native holds a lifetime 8.10 ERA in 13.1 big league innings, and was only in town as pitching depth.