The Phillies left Citi Field with a 3-0 win over the Mets on Thursday night, but the clean result came with an uneasy ninth-inning question hanging over the bullpen. Right-hander Jonathan Bowlan exited in the eighth inning because of tightness in his right groin, putting a key late-game role in doubt.
Bowlan leaves during eighth-inning assignment
- Bowlan took the mound in the eighth as Philadelphia protected a three-run lead.
- During an at-bat against Francisco Lindor, he felt the issue on a 1-1 offering.
- He threw one more pitch, missing for a ball, before leaving the game during Lindor’s plate appearance.
Bowlan said he did not feel a pop, which offered some immediate encouragement.
“There was no pop or anything like that, so that’s a good sign,” Bowlan said.
The right-hander previously went on the 15-day injured list in April with the same groin problem. He said this episode did not initially feel as severe, though the club will need to see how he responds before determining whether an absence is necessary.
“It doesn’t seem that serious, so we’ll see,” Bowlan said.
A thin bridge to Duran
The timing matters for interim manager Don Mattingly’s bullpen. Bowlan has served as the Phillies’ primary right-handed setup arm in front of closer Jhoan Duran, a role that carries extra weight when games reach the late innings with little margin for error.
If Bowlan is unavailable for any stretch, rookie right-hander Alex McFarlane appears to be the leading candidate to inherit those setup innings. For now, Philadelphia has the shutout victory in hand, but it also has another late-game health concern to monitor as the regular season moves along.
