The Philadelphia Phillies made a quiet but notable roster move Tuesday, calling up veteran reliever Lou Trivino from Triple-A Lehigh Valley ahead of their matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Trivino, 34, has been around the block. He broke in with Oakland back in 2018 and spent time with the Yankees, Giants, Dodgers, Orioles and now the Phillies. He’s worn a lot of uniforms. The right-hander last pitched in the big leagues with Baltimore in 2026, and he’s been working his way back down in the minors since signing a minor league deal with Philly earlier this year.
The Phillies also sent righty Chase Shugart back to Lehigh Valley to clear a spot on the 26-man roster. That’s the procedural part. The real story here is that Philadelphia is looking for stability in the bullpen while injuries pile up on the pitching staff. Trivino isn’t the flashy name he was a few years ago, but he’s a proven pro who knows how to get outs in high-leverage spots.
A Rough Road Back
Trivino missed the entire 2023 season with an elbow injury, and he hasn’t really looked like his old self since returning. But before that, he was genuinely elite. In 2021 with the A’s, he posted a 1.84 ERA over 71 appearances and looked like a future closer. The Yankees traded for him at the 2022 deadline, and he threw 6.2 scoreless innings during New York’s postseason run that fall.
Since coming back from injury, the numbers haven’t been there. He bounced around on minor league deals and short stints, never quite sticking. But the stuff hasn’t completely abandoned him. His fastball still sits in the mid-90s, and his cutter can generate weak contact when it’s working. The Phillies are betting that a fresh start and a change of scenery might help him find that old form.
What This Means for the Phillies
Philadelphia is in a weird spot right now. They’re 3.5 games behind Atlanta in the NL East, but that gap feels closer than it looked a month ago. The Braves jumped out to a big lead early, but the Phillies have been grinding and hanging around. If the bullpen can hold up through the injury wave, they’ve got a real shot at making a run.
Trivino isn’t going to single-handedly fix the bullpen. But he’s a low-risk addition who has been through playoff wars. The Phillies clearly value that kind of experience. And at 34, he’s not done yet — he just needs to prove it again.
First test comes Tuesday night against the Pirates. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. EST.
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