Stiffness delays Alvarado’s bullpen session; Pache nears rehab assignment originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
ATLANTA — Jose Alvarado did not throw a bullpen session Saturday as originally planned after showing up to Truist Park feeling stiffness in his left arm.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson is not calling it a setback. Alvarado did play catch from 90 feet.
“I think it’s normal,” Thomson said. “He was 98 mph the other day in the ‘pen, so I think he stepped on it a little bit too much. We’re going to be really careful with him.”
Alvarado could throw his bullpen session Sunday in Atlanta or it could be Tuesday when the Phillies get to New York.
“We’re just going to day-to-day it and see how he comes in tomorrow,” Thomson said.
Alvarado threw a bullpen session off of flat ground Monday and a regular bullpen session Wednesday. If he comes out of his next session feeling good, the Phillies plan to have him throw live batting practice, the final step before a rehab assignment.
The dominant left-handed reliever has been sidelined since May 8 with left elbow inflammation.
Other injury updates
• Cristian Pache (torn meniscus) took nine at-bats Friday in an intrasquad game and Darick Hall (sprained thumb) had eight.
Pache will run the bases and do strength testing Monday and Tuesday. If he checks out OK, he will begin a rehab assignment.
• Hall will go to extended spring training on Monday and will be assigned to Clearwater on Tuesday. Catcher Rafael Marchan (hamate fracture) will also begin his rehab assignment Tuesday with Clearwater.
• Nick Nelson threw a bullpen session Saturday. He has been dealing with a hamstring strain dating back to the middle of March. He made six minor-league starts between April 18 and May 13 before the hamstring forced another stint on the injured list. The Phillies see Nelson, their long reliever last season, as starting pitching depth, which they lack.