Phillies' Closer Alvarado Strikes Out: 80-Game PED Ban!

Phillies' Closer Alvarado Strikes Out: 80-Game PED Ban!

4 minute read
Published: 5/18/2025

In a blow to the Philadelphia Phillies' playoff hopes, pitcher Jose Alvarado faces an 80-game suspension after testing positive for exogenous testosterone, proving that even relief pitchers can’t escape their performance-enhancing urges.

The Phillies, currently 27-18 and jostling for playoff positioning, will now have to navigate the rest of the season without their ace reliever, whose impressive 2.70 ERA and seven saves had positioned him as one of their key assets. While both the team and MLB express disappointment in Alvarado’s violation of drug policy, fans may be left wondering if he was simply trying to enhance his chances — or if he thought that avoiding involvement in the team’s potential postseason was one way to lighten the load.

In a sport notorious for its fit-for-television players scratching each other's backs (and shoulders, and occasionally heads), Alvarado’s suspension raises eyebrows and questions. How does one add exogenous testosterone to their training regimen anyway? Perhaps he mistook performance-enhancers for performance-improvers, attempting to maximize his already lower-than-average ERA, without quite realizing where the line in the sand actually was drawn. Alas, the world of professional sports is more complicated than the inner workings of a broken vending machine.

The Phillies organization issued a statement expressing full support for MLB's Joint Prevention and Treatment Program, which may lead one to ponder how the treatment might involve extensive counseling on choices like, say, reading The Fine Print on the contract laid out before him. Team officials said they were disappointed, a sentiment matching that of every parent ever when they discover their child has decided to hop a fence instead of using the gate. Considering Alvarado’s performance this season, the disappointment is levelled alongside the former fanfare of his effective pitching.

With Alvarado boasting a remarkable 4-1 record and a glowing 2.70 ERA across 20 appearances, it’s hard not to think that maybe he just got a little too ambitious. However, he has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, which raises questions about the accuracy of this perception. One could almost hear the pedantic whispers of relief pitching 101: "If you want to close games, make sure to stay on the straight and narrow... or at least the straight.” Alvarado had outperformed offseason signee Jordan Romano, who appears to be auditioning for a role in a 30-for-30 on bullpen implosions with a 0-1 record and a 7.71 ERA. Perhaps Alvarado overtook the notion of thriving in competition a bit too seriously, or maybe he misjudged the risks of being the top dog among closers in a burgeoning team dynamics narrative. It is also worth noting that he will be ineligible for any potential playoff games for the Phillies.

Since joining the Phillies in 2021, Alvarado had made a remarkable turnaround, successfully lowering his ERA from an unflattering 4.20 to a commendable 1.74. That trajectory was, of course, halted abruptly, leaving curious minds to wonder if he’d been encouraged by the performance of his peers or just needed a little extra 'boost,' the latter now confirmed via an unfortunate drug test. His play and progress seemed so promising that insisting on a little, well, enhancement might have felt like only the next logical step in furthering his success, regardless of where the metaphorical sports ethics banner stands.

As the Phillies navigate this turbulent episode, they will also have to address the fact that the ban renders Alvarado ineligible for any potential playoff games. Coincidentally, this aligns with the unofficial sabbatical many say they’d take in hopes of summarizing a past season of over-enthusiastic participation. Whether the bullpen can hold down the fort without Alvarado for the remainder of this baseball odyssey remains to be seen. However, the fight on the diamond goes on, and the real question now is whether his absence will spook the competitors or simply exasperate a rather complicated pitching rotation.

In summary, Alvarado’s saga paints a fitting picture of modern sports where glory and ambition can sometimes pave a rather slippery slope into the depths of questionable decisions, leading us all to ask ourselves if perhaps more clarity is needed in communication. For now, fans can only hope the 27-18 Phillies remain buoyed in the hunt for the playoffs and that their bullpen can withstand the agony of a suspension that could have been avoided, should they have remembered that some shortcuts are more like trapdoors altogether.