Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarez left Thursday’s game on a cart after taking a liner off the groin.
Alvarez, one of the Phillies’ best relievers, took the mound in the fifth inning looking to preserve the team’s 2-1 lead over the Toronto Blue Jays. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Blue Jays outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. drilled a line drive right towards the pitcher’s mound.
The ball, which left the bat at 105.3 mph, lined directly into Alvarez’s groin, then rolled towards the first base side. Somehow, the 31-year-old southpaw fought through the pain to recover and make the toss to first for the final out of the inning.
While the inning was over, Alvarez remained on the ground in visible pain. One of the team’s trainers attended to him for several minutes before a cart was called out and the veteran reliever slowly got on.
There have been an absurd number of injuries thus far during the 2020 MLB season, but this might be one of the most painful.
José Àlvarez stats and impact on Phillies’ bullpen
Entering action on Thursday, Philadelphia had one of the worst bullpens in MLB. The club holds a 5.56 ERA from their relievers, the fifth-highest mark this season. Unfortunately, it’s going to get worse following Àlvarez’s groin injury.
The Phillies traded for Àlvarez in December 2018 in a deal with the Los Angeles Angels. He impressed in 67 games during the 2019 season, recording a 3.36 ERA with 16 holds and one save.
Àlvarez has taken his game to another level this season. In seven relief appearances, he has allowed just seven hits and holds a 1.50 ERA.