seranthony-dominguez-getty.png
Getty Images

The bullpen of the Philadelphia Phillies took a pair of hits on Sunday. The club announced that right-hander Corey Knebel has been moved to the 60-day injured list and will not pitch again this season because of a tear in his shoulder capsule. Right-hander Seranthony Dominguez, meanwhile, has landed on the 15-day injured list with triceps soreness. 

Knebel, who will undergo stem-cell treatment in the hopes of avoiding surgery, served as the Phillies' closer earlier in the season. In 44 2/3 innings in 2022, the 30-year-old Knebel pitched to a 3.43 ERA (120 ERA+) and a 1.46 K/BB ratio in 44 2/3 innings of work. He's eligible for free agency this coming offseason, so the injury may spell an end to his career with Philadelphia. 

As for the 27-year-old Domínguez, he's been the Phillies' most effective reliever in 2022, and he's worked as manager Rob Thomson's primary closer. In 44 innings so far, Domínguez has registered a 1.64 ERA (251 ERA+) with no unearned runs allowed and 54 strikeouts with 13 unintentional walks. Our own Mike Axisa recently cited Domínguez as one of the keys to the team's success since Thomson took over for Joe Girardi in early June. While triceps injuries for pitchers can occasionally cascade into something more concerning, Domínguez's injury does not appear to be a major source of concern at this time, as the club is hopeful that he'll require just the minimum stay on the IL

The hit to the bullpen comes at an inopportune time for the Phillies. They enter Sunday's series finale against the New York Mets in second wild-card position in the National League but only a half-game ahead of the San Diego Padres, who are in third and final position, and 2 1/2 games clear of the Milwaukee Brewers

On the upside, after they wrap up with the Mets, the Phillies will begin a stretch that will see them play 22 straight games against team that presently have losing records and superstar Bryce Harper is expected to start a rehab assignment this week.