Philadelphia Phillies closer Jhoan Duran was carted off the field after taking a comebacker to the right ankle in the ninth inning of his team’s win over the Washington Nationals on Friday (PHI 6, WAS 2). The ball left Paul DeJong’s bat at 94.1 mph and bounced before hitting Duran, who attempted to make a play on the ball before coming up limping.
After the game, the Phillies announced x-rays were negative on Duran’s ankle, and he will undergo further testing Saturday. Here’s the play:
Duran, 27, was acquired from the Minnesota Twins prior to the July 31 trade deadline. He has been electric in his two weeks with the Phillies, throwing four scoreless innings with four strikeouts. For the season, Duran has a 1.86 ERA with 20 saves in 53 1/3 innings.
The Phillies traded top catcher prospect Eduardo Tait and righty Mick Abel to acquire Duran, which was a hefty price for a reliever. That said, Duran is excellent, and Philadelphia can keep him as an arbitration-eligible player in 2026 and 2027. He is not a rental. He’s one of the best relievers in baseball with long-term control.
It goes without saying that losing Duran would be a devastating blow for a Phillies team that has experienced bullpen issues all year, particularly in the ninth inning. Veteran David Robertson signed with the club last month and was added to the active roster earlier this week. He could be a closer option if Duran misses time.
Friday’s win improved Philadelphia to 70-52. They have a 5 1/2 game lead in the NL East.