The Philadelphia Phillies were dealt a devastating blow to their bullpen when top reliever Jose Alvarado was suspended 80 games for testing positive for a PED. The culprit? A weight-loss drug Alvarado was taking, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski revealed.
MLB handed down the suspension Sunday ahead of the Phillies’ series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Alvarado is eligible to return Aug. 19 against the Seattle Mariners but is prohibited from pitching in the postseason this year if the Phillies advance.
Alvarado, who was 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA and seven saves, will forfeit roughly half of his $9 million 2025 salary. He has a $9 million club option for 2026.
“It’s disappointing for sure,” Dombrowski told reporters, including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “There’s no question about that. We’ve had other issues come up at various times. I end up treating it like an injury because you need to replace somebody for 80 games and then hopefully into the postseason.”
Dombrowski revealed that Alvarado told him it was a weight-loss drug that caused him to test positive for exogenous testosterone — a banned substance.
“It’s not something he did knowingly,” said Dombrowski. “I believe that, the way he talked to me.”
Dombrowski added, “But ultimately, you’re still responsible for it. … The system is a very stringent system. You’re responsible for what goes into your body.”
The executive said Alvarado tested positive awhile ago, but his last two tests came back negative. Alvarado did not appeal his suspension.
Right-handed reliever Jose Ruiz was reinstated from the injured list to replace Alvarado on the roster.
Alvarado came into spring training camp around 10 to 15 pounds lighter and told reporters he changed his diet to start eating better.
The left-hander was having a bounce-back year after struggling in 2024 with a 4.09 ERA. His fastball averaged 96.8 mph last season, compared to 98.6 in 2023. This year, his velocity jumped nearly 3 mph to 99.6.
The Phillies bullpen has been a blight on the season, ranking 23rd in baseball in ERA at 4.57. Now with Alvarado missing significant time on top of the postseason, the Phillies might have to trade a top prospect for an elite reliever.
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