The Philadelphia Phillies are heading into the postseason Saturday evening with the mindset that this might be the final opportunity for this core group to capture a World Series title.
With that in mind, they’re approaching October with a heightened sense of urgency, driven by past near-misses and three painful postseason exits. There’s no room for mistakes — every at-bat and every inning counts.
So, it wasn’t entirely unexpected when the Phillies unveiled their NLDS roster for Game 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and one name was missing. Despite signing a one-year, $8.5 million deal last offseason, relief pitcher Jordan Romano remains on the injured list as of Saturday afternoon.
Phillies Do Not Activate Jordan Romano For Playoffs
On Saturday morning prior to the start of the NLDS at Citizens Bank Park this evening, Philadelphia officially dropped the roster which is going to be tasked with taking down the defending World Series champion Dodgers.
Romano made his last appearance in late August before landing on the 15-day injured list with what was initially diagnosed as neck stiffness and inflammation in the middle finger of his throwing hand.
When he failed to return in September — and reports emerged weeks ago that he hadn’t even resumed throwing — it became evident that he wouldn’t make it back for the regular season. Now, it appears his lone campaign with the Phillies is already over.
Philadelphia took a calculated gamble by signing the two-time All-Star, hoping he could rebound to his 2023 form after a tough stretch that sidelined him for much of last year. At the time, the $8.5 million deal was seen as a smart, low-risk move. But in hindsight, Romano’s stint with the club has proven to be a major disappointment.
Romano’s Time with Phillies Has Been Absolutely Dreadful
Over 49 appearances with the team in 2025, the 32-year-old has posted an 8.23 ERA, 1.453 WHIP, one of the highest walk rates of his career, and most importantly, an unsightly bWAR of -1.7 as he actively made the bullpen worse.
There were flashes of brilliance at times such as his 2.53 ERA over 11 appearances during the month of may, but Romano was never able to put it all together at any point and become anything less than a complete and utter liability.
If his time with the team truly has already come to an end — a reality that while disappointing would also be for the best — the contract will go down as one of the uglier deals Philadelphia has handed out in recent years.
Romano coming back at any point this year or at this point making another appearance at all in a Phillies uniform would be a shock. It seems the team has turned the page and will try to get it done this October without him.
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