Was the reaction to José Alvarado’s return overblown by Phillies fans?

Only in Philadelphia can a reliever coming back from an 80-game PED suspension get an ovation loud enough to make people argue on the internet. José Alvarado officially rejoined the Phillies this week, and when he came jogging out of the bullpen Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park, fans let loose.

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There were some scattered boos, sure, but the cheers won out. Enough to stir up the usual “what does this say about Philly fans?” debate across social media and sports radio.

José Alvarado got an overwhelmingly positive reception ahead of his first appearance following his PED suspension.

José Alvarado got an overwhelmingly positive reception ahead of his first appearance following his PED suspension. pic.twitter.com/HmMpHBZaVP

— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) August 20, 2025

The Case Against the Ovation

Here’s my issue with the standing ovation. Jose Alvarado is a professional baseball player. He’s not your friend. It’s his job to take the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies and perform at a high-level.

Instead, Alvarado missed more than half of the season because he was suspended for violating the MLB Substance Abuse policy. He put this team in a very bad situation and even with him returning to the bullpen, he’s unavailable for the postseason.

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That’s not good. So yes, Phillies fans have every right to be upset with Jose Alvarado and be pissed at the overwhelmingly positive reaction he recieved in his first appearance back with the team on Wednesday. Professional athletes should know better, and Alvarado put himself and the team in that spot.

I really hate being that guy…. Especially because I like Jose Alvarado the person… but giving a standing ovation for a player who hurt your playoff chances because he is ineligible after his PED use is not something I understand. Glad he is here to help until October https://t.co/Eh5IJfw6un

— Andrew Salciunas (@asalciunas975) August 20, 2025

The Case For the Ovation

On the other hand… Alvarado did serve the suspension. He did lose millions off his salary and he is still one of the nastiest left-handed relievers in baseball. The Phillies bullpen with Jhoan Duran, Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm, and Alvarado is absolutely terrifying for opponents.

For a fanbase that just watched Zack Wheeler go down with a blood clot, maybe a little boost of positivity isn’t the worst thing in the world.

The Reality

Personally, I don’t think he should deserve any praise and there was a strong contingent of supporters who went out there supporting his return yesterday like it was some type of meet and greet social event.

That was fucking stupid, but to each their own.

Jose Alvarado won’t even be available in October. His suspension rules him out for the postseason. His only value is purely in eating up innings over the final stretch so that the big arms stay fresh. With the Phillies holding a 6.5-game lead in the NL East, the rest of this season is about positioning and preservation. Alvarado helps with both.

Outside of that, sorry brother, but you kinda fucked us. I guess you can make a case that his suspension helped the Phillies get over the hump and pull the trigger on a big deadline deal to land Jhoan Duran but I don’t like playing those “what if” games either.

If Jose Alvarado can give the Phillies 15–20 good innings down the stretch, no one’s going to care how loud the cheers were when he came back. Thats all that matters.

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