PHILADELPHIA — No reliever in Major League Baseball has appeared in more postseason games since 2022 than José Alvarado. He’s secured numerous crucial outs in the playoffs and given up the go-ahead home run in the deciding game of the World Series. Through it all, Phillies manager Rob Thomson has trusted the burly left-hander to take the ball 21 times in the last three Octobers.
Throw that all out in 2025.
Alvarado, Philadelphia’s most dangerous bullpen weapon, was suspended 80 games without pay after testing positive for a performance enhancing substance, MLB announced Sunday. He will not be eligible for postseason competition, delivering a brutal blow to the current state of the Phillies’ bullpen and the team’s championship aspirations.