José Alvarado returned to the Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse on Tuesday, addressing his teammates and coaches for the first time since his 80-game suspension began in May following a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance.
Manager Rob Thomson commented on the meeting: “I thought it went great. He was very good. Short and sweet, and we’re moving on.”
Earlier in the day, Alvarado posted an apology on Instagram and spoke at length to media, expressing regret to fans, teammates, the city of Philadelphia, and his family. Through a team interpreter he said, “Rules are rules, I take full responsibility. Unfortunately, this happened, but I’m ready to move past this and continue to go forward.”
Alvarado will not be eligible to rejoin the Phillies until August 19 but was in Philadelphia to check in with the club before starting a rehab assignment as he prepares for his return.
Before his suspension, Alvarado had been performing as one of the team’s top relievers with a 2.70 ERA over 20 appearances and leading with seven saves—just one behind current leader Jordan Romano. Since then, Jhoan Duran has taken over closing duties.
However, Alvarado will not be able to pitch in the postseason due to league rules regarding suspensions for banned substances—a situation he described as “painful” and “extremely disappointing.” He added: “That’s something that I’m always going to carry in my heart.”
Thomson indicated uncertainty about how Alvarado would be used when he returns: “I don’t know, really,” he said. “I would think we’ll start him out in low-leverage situations just to get a look at him and ease him in, then go from there.”
The Phillies face decisions about their bullpen usage during the final stretch of regular season games while holding a narrow lead over division rivals.
Alvarado stated his intention to contribute: “I worked hard because I wanted to show the fans that I’m ready to go. I want to contribute in whatever way and perform whenever I get the opportunity to pitch. The Philadelphia Phillies fans are going to see the José Alvarado they’ve always seen.”
Prior to suspension this year, Alvarado’s sinker averaged 99.3 mph—higher than last season’s average—and he explained that his positive test resulted from using a weight-loss supplement rather than an attempt at performance enhancement.
“I’ve always thrown hard. I don’t believe whatsoever that whatever I took helped out my performance,” said Alvarado. “I’ve always been a hard thrower and a big guy. I took that to take some weight off and stuff like that, but at the end of the day, I don’t think it helped my performance in any way.”
He threw a bullpen session at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday; Thomson noted: “It went really well. Velocity was good. Command was good. Cutter was really good. So he looks like he’s been throwing.”
While away from the team after returning home to Venezuela post-suspension until recently, Alvarado continued training by playing catch and facing hitters.
“I’m very sorry for what happened, but I have never had any intent to take any substance to make me a better player or a better pitcher,” he said. “I’m willing to take the challenge and continue to be the person I always have been — a humble guy who wants to show the world I can pitch at the big league level and contribute on a championship-caliber club.”
Despite being away physically since mid-May, Alvarado remained engaged with team activities remotely: “A lot. A lot,” he replied when asked how much baseball he’d watched during his absence.
