The Phillies are returning a veteran pitcher, with the club stating that Orion Kerkering will be activated to the 26-man roster from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday afternoon.
Kerkering had a hamstring injury at the start of the spring, but with a few rehab starts in Triple-A, he was able to build his strength for the regular season.
Kerkering has been one of the better righties in the bullpen for the past few seasons, but his last big league appearance was most likely his worst ever – as his disastrous errant throw against the Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLDS in October ended the Phillies playoff bid.
Prior to that blunder, Kerkering had a 2. 77 ERA in a career-high 69 games in 2025.
Kerkering’s arrival marks the departure of Backhus, who was named to the Phillies’ Opening Day roster but saw limited playing time in the majors following a dismal debut. Despite three scoreless performances, Backhus gave up three runs in the opener, practically costing the Phillies the game. He had a 9. 00 ERA in three innings.
Backhus was likely demoted to the minors because other relievers such as Zach Pop and Jonathan Bowlan have no options left.
