José Alvarado’s 2025 season is officially over, leaving future with Phillies in doubt

José Alvarado’s rollercoaster 2025 season has officially come to an end.

The Phillies placed Jose Alvarado on the 15-day IL with a left forearm strain Friday to make room for Walker Buehler’s debut against the Royals.

Rob Thomson called the strain “very mild,” but confirmed that Alvarado won’t pitch again this year. No surgery is expected.

Topper on Jose Alvarado:

Rob Thomson on José Alvarado’s injury: “The plan now is just get him ready for next year.”

(via @GraceDelPizzo) pic.twitter.com/x7UqwEg4nu

— On Pattison (@OnPattison) September 12, 2025

The Phillies hold a $9 million club option for 2026, with a $500,000 buyout if they decline. That’s not an outrageous number if Alvarado is the guy we saw early in the year.

Jose Alvarado did post a 2.70 ERA with 25 strikeouts over his first 20 appearances. then came the 80-game suspension for testing positive for exogenous testosterone.

Alvarado insisted it was tied to a weight-loss drug, not intentional PED use, but either way, the Phillies were left hanging. He missed most of the season, couldn’t pitch in the postseason, and when he came back, he had a 7.50 ERA across eight outings.

The velocity was still there, the command was not.

The Phillies are staring down a winter where Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Ranger Suárez, and Harrison Bader all hit free agency.

That $9 million could be valuable flexibility. On the flip side, reliable left-handed bullpen arms don’t grow on trees, and Jose Alvarado at his best is still one of the nastiest relievers in baseball.

One option is to decline the $9M, eat the $500K buyout, and try to bring him back on a cheaper deal, lowering the net cost while keeping a potential high-leverage weapon around.

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