Phillies shove another reliever onto the IL just hours before first pitch in Cincinnati

The Philadelphia Phillies bullpen took another hit Thursday afternoon. Left-hander Tanner Banks was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left forearm strain, the team announced just before their series opener against the Reds.

The move is effective immediately. To backfill the roster spot, the Phillies called up right-hander Chase Shugart from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The club posted the transaction on social media a few hours before Thursday night’s 7:10 PM EST first pitch.

Banks has been inconsistent this season

Through 28 relief appearances, Banks owns a 7.14 ERA. That’s a tough number for any reliever, especially one the front office was hoping would lock down a middle-inning role. But he’s not a lost cause. In 2025, across 69 outings with Philadelphia, he posted a 3.07 ERA. The stuff is still there. The question is whether he can find that form again once his forearm heals.

Forearm strains are tricky for pitchers. They sometimes lead to more serious elbow issues, though the team hasn’t indicated that’s the concern here. For now, it’s a 15-day IL stint, and the Phillies will reassess when the time comes.

Shugart gets another shot

Chase Shugart has been up and down all year. In 26 appearances with the Phillies this season, he’s pitched to a 4.97 ERA. That’s not exactly lights-out, but it’s serviceable for a guy bouncing between the minors and the big league club. He’ll likely get work in lower-leverage situations while the Phillies sort out their bullpen pieces.

This is the second bullpen-related IL move in as many days. Wednesday, the club placed reliever Lou Trivino III on the IL and activated Brad Keller from his own rehab stint. So the Phillies are essentially swapping arms and hoping somebody sticks.

Bigger picture for Philadelphia

The Phillies have quietly turned their season around after a dreadful start. A lot of that credit goes to interim manager Don Mattingly, who has kept the clubhouse steady through some early chaos. But the front office knows the roster still has holes. The bullpen is one. Adding another bat or two is another. And nobody would complain if they picked up a starting pitcher before the trade deadline.

That said, the current group has done enough to put the team back in contention. The offense has started producing. The rotation has been more reliable. But bullpen depth gets tested hard over a long season, and the Phillies are running thin again.

Thursday night in Cincinnati will be a decent test. The Reds have been scrappy at home, and Philadelphia needs innings from a bullpen that just lost two arms in 48 hours.