Phillies Suffer Crushing Blow As Key Pitcher Suffers Season-Ending Elbow Injury

He has proven to be a sensational offseason pickup to bolster the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen. But high-leverage reliever Brad Keller is now done for the year, after being diagnosed with a torn UCL (ulnar collateral ligament). 

Phillies reliever Brad Keller has a torn UCL and is expected to miss the rest of the season. If he undergoes surgery on his right elbow, it would keep him out a significant portion, if not all, of 2027 as well. Keller signed a two-year, $22 million deal over the winter.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 16, 2026

As noted by Jeff Passan, if Keller undergoes surgery (the most likely scenario with a torn UCL), it would also keep him out for most, if not all, of the 2027 season as well.

The 30-year-old spent time on the IL in mid-June with right forearm tendinitis, and had only been back for one appearance, on July 8th, before suffering the more devastating injury. 

In 32 appearances this season, Keller posted a 4.02 ERA along with three saves.

He signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Phillies as a free agent last winter. The nine-year veteran had an excellent 2025 season with the Chicago Cubs, fully adjusting to his relatively new role as a reliever, posting a 2.07 ERA in 68 appearances.

The Phillies will certainly now try to supplement their bullpen by hitting the trade market in advance of the deadline in 2 1/2 weeks. That clearly becomes a priority for baseball ops boss Dave Dombrowski. 

In 117 career appearances as a starter, Keller had a 4.33 ERA. But since moving to the bullpen, he's improved that mark by nearly a full run, with a 3.41 ERA as a reliever.