The Philadelphia Phillies are shuffling the bullpen again. Before Tuesday night’s series opener against the Cincinnati Reds, the team sent left-hander Kyle Backhus back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and called up righty Max Lazar.
Backhus, 28, has had a rough go of it in 2026. Through 17 appearances, his ERA sits at 5.87. That’s a big step back from his rookie season last year, when he posted a 4.62 ERA across 32 outings. Not what you want to see from a guy who only made his MLB debut in 2025.
The Phillies didn’t say much about the decision beyond the standard roster announcement. But the numbers tell the story pretty clearly. Backhus has been getting hit hard, and with the bullpen already a concern, the team needed to try something different.
Lazar gets another shot
Max Lazar is back in the big leagues after putting together a decent run at Lehigh Valley. In 19 appearances for the IronPigs this season, he’s pitched to a 3.97 ERA. He’s also made three MLB appearances in 2026, allowing runs in two of them. His career ERA across 50 big league outings is 4.73, so he’s not a sure thing either. But the Phillies are hoping a fresh arm can stabilize things a bit.
The timing here is interesting. The Phillies are sitting at 50-41, three games back of the Braves in the NL East. That’s a good record but not a great one, and they’re in the thick of the trade deadline conversation. Team president Dave Dombrowski has never been shy about dealing for help, and the bullpen is probably the most obvious place to upgrade. But the rumors have also linked Philadelphia to Detroit ace Tarik Skubal, which would be a much bigger swing. And there’s chatter about adding an outfield bat too.
For now, though, the Phillies are tinkering around the edges. Lazar could see action Tuesday night — first pitch is at 7:10 PM EST at Great American Ball Park. The Reds are a beatable team, but their lineup has enough pop to make a shaky bullpen sweat.
Backhus will head back to Lehigh Valley and try to figure it out. The stuff is there. The command hasn’t been. Whether he gets another chance in Philly this season probably depends on how fast he can get that ERA under five and whether the Phillies make a trade that reshuffles the whole relief corps.
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