Orion Kerkering to start season on injured list as Phillies finalize bullpen

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Phillies will make the trip back up to Philadelphia this week as they prepare for Opening Day against the Texas Rangers on March 26. Reliever Orion Kerkering will not have the same luxury.

The right-hander will begin the regular season on the 15-day injured list and stay back at the team’s complex in Clearwater, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced Sunday. The executive said the transaction would go into effect on Sunday, meaning Kerkering would be eligible to return on April 6 in San Francisco.

The Phillies are optimistic that it could be a minimum-length stint.

“We hope so,” Dombrowski said. “We think so. I mean, he threw well the other day. He’s just not ready to go completely.”

With Kerkering on the shelf, the Phillies finalized their big-league bullpen for the start of the year. Closer Jhoan Duran, right-hander Brad Keller and left-handers José Alvarado and Tanner Banks will occupy the higher-leverage roles. Newcomers Jonathan Bowlan and Kyle Backhus will be in the mix. Lefty Tim Mayza and righty Zach Pop will break camp with the club, occupying the final two relief jobs.

Pop got the nod over Rule 5 pick Zach McCambley, who was returned to the Marlins organization, and Chase Shugart, who was optioned to Triple-A. The Phillies like Pop’s stuff and feel like he threw the strikes necessary to separate himself in camp.

“We think he earned the spot,” Dombrowski said.

Mayza, a Montgomery County product out of Upper Perkiomen High School, finished the season with the Phillies last year and re-signed on a minor-league deal. He was added to the 40-man roster Sunday.

“It’ll definitely be a special moment,” Mayza said. “Local kid being on the Opening Day roster. So I’m very excited.”

The Phillies, carrying four lefties in the bullpen for now, will have to shuffle the roster when Kerkering eventually comes back. Dombrowski said the team is hopeful that Kerkering will be able to pitch in a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the IronPigs’ second series of the series in Durham, N.C., that runs from March 31 to April 5. The righty is set to appear in a minor-league spring game on Monday.

In addition to Kerkering, reliever Max Lazar and starting pitcher Zack Wheeler will begin the season on the injured list, as expected.