Injury Update: Zach Pop hits 15-day IL, Kyle Backhus gets the call from Triple-A Lehigh Valley

Despite a few recent struggles, one of the few things the Phillies have actually been doing well through the early going of 2026 is the bullpen. That means it was only a matter of time before something went sideways. Enter Zach Pop and a right calf strain.

Zach Pop is heading to the 15-day IL, retroactive to April 13, per Todd Zolecki. Kyle Backhus gets called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take the spot.

Phillies place Zach Pop on 15-day IL with a right calf strain

Phillies placed RHP Zach Pop on 15-day IL (retro to 4/13) with a right calf strain. To fill his spot on the 26-man roster, LHP Kyle Backhus was recalled from Lehigh Valley (AAA).

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) April 15, 2026

If you don’t understand why this matters, pull up a chair because I’m about to tell you.

Pop has been quietly one of the best arms in this bullpen. Seven appearances, 7 1/3 innings, a 3.68 ERA, six strikeouts, three earned runs. The ERA isn’t great, but overall, they are fine numbers on the surface.

The underlying stuff is what the statsexuals will talk about. A 121 ERA+. A 3.16 FIP. Opponents slashing .200/.290/.320 against him. That’s a guy doing his job at a high level every time Rob Thomson hands him the ball.

Zach Pop’s last outing before getting hurt was the most underrated performance of the Phillies’ season so far. On April 12, Andrew Painter was dealing with migraines and couldn’t start. Pop, a reliever, got the ball cold and threw two innings against the Diamondbacks to hold things together until Painter could come in and grind out five innings of his own.

Zach Pop saved that entire game for the Phillies and the rotation. You won’t see it in the box score tomorrow, but you’ll remember it if you watch this team enough.

Now Zach Pop is on the shelf and look, calf strains on pitchers are annoying specifically because even the mild ones take a while. You can’t just rush a guy back out there. He has to ramp up. He has to throw multiple bullpens. He has to get into a rehab game or two. Realistically, we’re looking at three to four weeks minimum.

About Kyle Backhus…

Here’s where I lose patience with optimism. Kyle Backhus has pitched 28 1/3 innings in the Major Leagues and has a 5.08 ERA. He has made four appearances with the Phillies this year.

They have not gone well.

His MLB ERA+ is 87. His FIP is 4.41. He has been hit hard every time the Phillies have called him up. If you’re looking at him like a lottery ticket that might hit, you’re going to end up disappointed.

He is the “break glass in case of emergency” call and the glass got broken.

The only thing Backhus has going for him is that the Triple-A numbers are legit. Seventy-four appearances, 75 innings, a 3.00 ERA, 92 strikeouts.

That’s real, obviously, but the Triple-A to MLB translation has not worked for him yet and there’s a reason for that. The stuff plays against Triple-A hitters.

Big league hitters have figured him out twice now. Until he proves otherwise, I’m assuming we’re about to see it again.

Is it possible he finally figures it out? Sure. Stranger things have happened.

Pitchers click at different points in their careers and sometimes all it takes is the right usage pattern and a little confidence. Either way, if you’re the Phillies, you can’t plan on that. You have to plan on needing another arm and probably sooner than later.

The Phillies are going to be just fine in the long run. The bullpen is deep enough to absorb one Pop-sized hole for a few weeks. It’s a real loss and the replacement is a downgrade. That’s just how it is.

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