The Philadelphia Phillies‘ search for a viable fifth starter has another candidate.
Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported that the Phillies are set to promote pitcher Brian Keller to either start or work as a bulk reliever on Saturday. The 32-year-old will be making his major league debut once he appears in a game.
Keller had an interesting road to his debut. Originally a 39th-round draft pick by the Yankees in 2016, Keller spent six years in the Yankees organization before joining the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in 2022.
He signed with the NPB Hanshin Tigers ahead of the 2023 season, but Tommy John surgery and a second procedure on a nerve in the same area, led to Keller throwing only 15.2 innings over three years.