The Philadelphia Phillies have continued to shuffle their bullpen throughout the 2026 season as they search for a dependable group of relievers to set up closer Jhoan Duran.
While right-hander Orion Kerkering has been a steady presence, the loss of Brad Keller to injury has left the middle innings in flux, forcing the club to cycle through several bullpen options in recent weeks. The latest move is another attempt to stabilize that area.
Right-handed reliever Chase Shugart has been optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley following consecutive rough performances against the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets. In his place, the Phillies are bringing back veteran right-hander Lou Trivino.
According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, the Phillies purchased Trivino’s contract from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to add him to the major league roster. The promotion marks his second stint with Philadelphia after appearing in 10 games for the club during the 2025 season.
Phillies send Right-Handed Reliever to Triple-A, purchase Lou Trivino’s contract
Lou Trivino made the most of his opportunity with the Phillies in 2025, delivering an impressive performance out of the bullpen. Over nine innings, he posted a 2.00 ERA with eight strikeouts while recording a 230 ERA+, a 3.36 FIP, and 0.3 bWAR despite his limited workload.
The 2025 season marked Trivino’s return to the Major Leagues after last pitching in 2023. He opened the 2026 campaign with Philadelphia before being released and signing with the Baltimore Orioles on May 4.
His stint in Baltimore was brief, as he allowed six earned runs across three innings in two appearances before becoming a free agent on May 12. The Phillies quickly brought him back, signing him four days later, and his strong play has now earned him another promotion to the major league roster.
Trivino made a compelling case for the call-up with his outstanding production at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Across 22 appearances covering 28.1 innings, the veteran right-hander compiled a 1.27 ERA and struck out 34 batters, giving Philadelphia reason to believe he can provide much-needed stability to a bullpen that has occasionally been stretched thin this season.
There will certainly be work for Trivino right away. Shugart was someone that interim manager Don Mattingly was going to with some regularity, but he struggled recently, looking to possibly be running on fumes.
He has given up three runs in back-to-back outings against the Pirates and Mets. That gives him three appearances in June alone, during which three runs have been scored against him, which spiked his ERA to 4.97.
Before the recent struggles, he had a 2.21 ERA through his first 16 appearances in 2026.
