Following the recent trade deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen has already undergone a significant transformation. The acquisition of elite closer Jhoan Duran gave the relief unit an instant boost. While more reinforcements were expected shortly, one notable arm — veteran David Robertson — won’t be joining the big-league club just yet.

Robertson Not Ready Despite Being Eligible for Recall

The Phillies signed 40-year-old David Robertson on July 21 with the hope that his experience could add stability to a struggling bullpen. After the signing, the team sent him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to rebuild stamina and regain game readiness. By league rule, players optioned to the minors must stay there for at least 15 days, making Robertson first eligible to return on August 5.

However, Phillies manager Rob Thomson made it clear that Robertson isn’t quite ready to return to the majors. As Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer noted, Thomson compared Robertson’s current condition to being in the early stages of spring training and emphasized the need for more time before activating him.

“He’s basically in week two of spring training,” Thomson said.

Struggles in Triple-A Delay Return

Robertson hasn’t looked sharp in recent outings with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. After beginning his stint with a couple of solid appearances, the right-hander was hit hard in back-to-back games, giving up three runs in each. Through four innings total, he has surrendered six runs on 10 hits while striking out just three batters.

According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Robertson’s velocity sat between 92–93 mph and peaked at 94 mph during his most recent outing on August 3. Still, the results haven’t been encouraging enough for the Phillies to add him to their major league roster.

Bullpen Still a Concern for Phillies

The Phillies’ relief corps has been a weak point all season. Currently, their bullpen ERA ranks 24th in the league at 4.50, and it’s worsened since the All-Star break, ballooning to 5.36.

Given that context, the team is hoping that once Robertson rounds into form, he can provide valuable stability for the stretch run. In 2024, he pitched to a solid 3.00 ERA and 1.11 WHIP across 72 innings with the Texas Rangers. Over his career, he holds a 2.91 ERA, and the Phillies would welcome that level of consistency.

Robertson is no stranger to Philadelphia. He previously joined the Phillies in 2022 via trade from the Cubs and played a key role during their postseason run, posting a 2.70 ERA in 23 1/3 regular-season innings and an impressive 1.17 ERA in 7 2/3 playoff innings.

While the hope remains that he’ll contribute again this season, fans will need to wait a little longer to see Robertson back in red pinstripe