Phillies Add Lucas Sims to Minor-League Roster After Alvarado's Suspension

So, here’s the scoop: the Philadelphia Phillies just signed veteran reliever Lucas Sims to a minor-league deal. This move comes hot on the heels of José Alvarado getting slapped with an 80-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Yeah, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for the team lately.

Sims is now heading to the Phillies' Florida Complex League team, which is where he’ll be getting back into the swing of things. The 31-year-old had a rough go with the Washington Nationals earlier this season. He signed a one-year contract with them during spring training but ended up allowing 14 hits and 19 runs over just 12 1/3 innings in 18 appearances. Not exactly a stellar performance, and the Nats decided to cut him loose earlier this month.

With Alvarado out of the picture until August, Sims might just find himself playing a key role in the Phillies' bullpen. What that role will be, though, is still up in the air. It’s all about how he fits into the mix as the season rolls on.

Now, let’s not forget Sims’ past. He was a first-round pick by the Atlanta Braves and had some solid seasons with the Cincinnati Reds. In fact, he posted a 1.9 WAR with a 3.10 ERA and a 27.8% strikeout rate over 61 innings. His 2021 season was particularly impressive, boasting a career-high 39% strikeout rate in 47 innings. But, this year with Washington? Not so much. His strikeout rate dipped to 18.1%, one of the lowest in his career.

In other news, the Phillies made some roster moves recently. They sent Mick Abel back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after his historic MLB debut and brought up Max Lazar. Before the Phillies took on the Colorado Rockies and secured a 9-3 victory, manager Rob Thomson shared his thoughts on the bullpen situation. He’s not expecting his relievers to change their game plan just because Alvarado is out.

“Just do your thing and try not to do more than who you are,” Thomson said. “I truly believe we have enough stuff in our pen. Just don’t try to do too much. Throw strikes. Just be yourselves, and we’ll get it done.”

As for the high-leverage roles, Jordan Romano, Matt Strahm, and Orion Kerkering are pretty much locked in. But the team is hoping that one of their middle relievers can step up and snag a more significant role. “We’ve got to find out about some other guys, too,” Thomson mentioned. “Joe Ross hasn’t pitched in eight days, so he’s got to pitch tonight, and that might be a leverage spot. Same thing with (José) Ruiz. We’ve had (Tanner) Banks in some leverage spots lately, and he’s done a fine job.”

So, it’s a bit of a shake-up for the Phillies, but they’re looking to make the best of it. With Sims now in the mix, fans will be watching closely to see how this all plays out.