THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHILADELPHIA — Phillies relievers J.C. Romero and Chad Durbin were placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday, a big blow to the Philadelphia bullpen.
Romero has a strained left forearm and Durbin strained a muscle in his back. Tyler Walker and Andrew Carpenter were recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill their roster spots.
“Both of them play a big part in our bullpen,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “Guys that come up have to do the job for us.”
The left-handed Romero has a 2.87 ERA in 20 appearances since rejoining the Phillies after serving a 50-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance. Durbin, a right-hander, is 1-2 with a 4.62 ERA in 42 games.
Manuel expects Romero to return when he’s eligible to come off the DL. He’s not sure about Durbin.
“(Romero) has some soreness, but I don’t think he’ll be out for a long time,” Manuel said. “I think when his time is up, he’ll definitely be ready to pitch.”
The Phillies’ bullpen has been inconsistent this season after playing a major role in helping the team win the World Series last year.
“As long as we can keep our bullpen strong and healthy and in a consistent routine, we can be real good,” Manuel said.
Walker was 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in nine games in an earlier stint with the Phillies. Carpenter made a spot start this season, earning a win in a rain-shortened game at Washington.
