The Phillies announced that the left-hander Jose Alvarado has been placed on the blacklist to resolve a personal matter. Right-handed Michael Mercado was recalled to take his place on the active roster. Players on the restricted list do not take up a spot on the 40-man roster, bringing the Phillies’ total down to 39 for now.

The club has not provided any information about Alvarado’s personal situation or how long he may be out of the team, making his status a complete mystery until more information comes to light.

Alvarado has been an inconsistent but occasionally effective reliever in his career. He walked 12.9% of the batters he faced, but also struck out 29.6% of them. That wildness has led to fluctuating results in terms of preventing runs. He had a 2.39 ERA in 2018, but that number rose over the next three seasons, finishing between 4.20 and 6.00. It dropped to 3.18 in 2022 and just 1.74 last year, but is back up to 4.30 here in 2024.

As long as Alvarado is out, the Phillies will Matt Strahm And Tanner Banks than their left-handers in the bullpen. Kolby Allard And Tyler Gilbert are also on the 40-man roster, but are currently on a voluntary basis. The club could use its open roster spot to get someone off the waiver list or promote someone already in the system, but Alvarado will have to be added back to the roster if he returns to the club.

Alvarado will not receive salary or service time while on the restricted list. He and the Phillies agreed to an extension in February 2023 that runs through 2025. Under that agreement, his salary this year is $9 million. Every day he is gone saves the Phillies about $48,000 plus taxes. According to RosterResource, their current competitive tax balance is $262 million. They are a third-party payer, meaning they pay 50% taxes on spending above the base threshold of $237 million and 62% on spending above the second threshold of $257 million. Additionally, subtracting Alvarado’s salary results in a daily tax savings of about $30,000.