José Alvarado (suspension) to report to Philadelphia, start rehab assignment next week

PHILADELPHIA — José Alvarado’s locker inside the Phillies’ home clubhouse had been cleared of all gloves and cleats by the time the news of his suspension broke on the morning of May 18. The reliever had tested positive for a banned substance, so he was penalized for 80 regular-season games.

That stretch will end on Aug. 19, when Alvarado is eligible to return for the Phillies to conclude the year. However, he will not be permitted to participate in the postseason if Philadelphia qualifies. Still, the hard-throwing left-hander can contribute down the stretch, so he’ll head back to Citizens Bank Park to start the return process.

“We’ll see him on Monday,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said.

Alvarado will stop by Philadelphia for a day before beginning a minor-league rehab assignment. He’s technically allowed to start appearing in the minors on Monday, but all local affiliates have off that day. Alvarado’s rehab could be with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, which plays at home this upcoming week and travels to Buffalo, N.Y., the next.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said before the trade deadline that Alvarado had been in Venezuela since his suspension. He was able to throw during his time away from the team.

“I’ve talked to him once,” Thomson said, “but I know what his program has been. He’s thrown a bunch of bullpens. He’s had a bunch of (batting practice) sessions, so feels like he’s good to go.”

Philadelphia’s bullpen looks different than it did when Alvarado was last with the club. Without their lefty workhorse available for the playoffs, the Phillies traded for star closer Jhoan Duran on Wednesday. He made his grand entrance to South Philadelphia in Friday night’s win.

Additionally, the Phillies signed 40-year-old David Robertson for his third stint with the team in an effort to add another reliable arm. The veteran right-hander is not in the big leagues yet, but he’s working his way back with the IronPigs. He’s eligible to be called up on Tuesday, but Thomson compared him to a pitcher in “the second week of spring” training in terms of readiness. Maybe Robertson needs some more time.

“We’ll have to discuss that,” Thomson said.

Phillies relievers have a 4.48 ERA this season, 24th in all of Major League Baseball. Their production should improve with the inclusion of Duran and when Robertson joins the team.

Alvarado should also assist those numbers, assuming he looks anywhere as good as he did prior to the suspension. He had a 2.70 ERA in 20 games with an uptick in velocity. It’s fair to wonder if that performance was boosted by a foreign substance and if it may suffer in the future. But if Alvarado pitches like the Alvarado the Phillies are used to, he could provide a lift, take some stress off the other relievers and help the club in its pursuit of a postseason spot — even if he has to watch from the sidelines if Philadelphia gets there.