The Philadelphia Phillies head into a three-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals carrying some unwelcome injury news involving one of their recent trade additions.
Right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian has been placed on the injured list with a left oblique strain, the team announced ahead of Monday’s series opener at Busch Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. EDT.
In a corresponding roster move, the Phillies recalled right-hander Chase Shugart from the minors. Shugart returns to the major league club to help fill the gap in the bullpen.
Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic noted the development on social media.
“The Phillies placed Caleb Kilian on the IL with a left oblique strain. Chase Shugart is back up.”
Kilian arrived in Philadelphia just last week as part of a deal with the San Francisco Giants. The Phillies sent pitching prospects Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair to San Francisco in exchange for Kilian and All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez.
The 29-year-old has yet to settle in since the trade. Over four appearances with his new team, he has given up seven runs, five of them earned, while allowing four hits and two walks in just 3 1/3 innings.
That early struggle may now be explained in part by the oblique issue that landed him on the shelf. Oblique strains often limit a pitcher’s ability to generate power and maintain consistency from the mound.
Kilian’s path to Philadelphia has included several stops. The Giants originally selected him in the eighth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Texas Tech. He later moved to the Chicago Cubs organization in the 2021 trade that sent Kris Bryant to San Francisco.
During his time with the Cubs from 2022 through 2024, Kilian posted a 9.22 ERA across 27 1/3 innings. He spent the entire 2025 season in the minor leagues before signing a minor-league contract to rejoin the Giants this past offseason.
With San Francisco this year, he recorded a 4.26 ERA over 44 1/3 innings in 45 appearances prior to the trade. Those numbers suggested a reliable bullpen option, but the early results in Philadelphia told a different story.
The Phillies enter the Cardinals series after a mixed weekend against the Toronto Blue Jays. They dropped the first two games of that series before rallying for a 7-6 victory in 12 innings on Sunday.
That walk-off win improved Philadelphia to six victories in its last 10 contests. The club sits at 63-56 and shares the third National League wild-card position with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Manager and front-office officials will now lean on the rest of the relief corps and the newly recalled Shugart as they look to build momentum on the road. Kilian’s timeline for return has not been detailed publicly, but oblique injuries can require several weeks of recovery depending on severity.
The series in St. Louis offers an early test of the bullpen’s depth without one of its recent additions.
Fans and observers will watch closely to see how the Phillies adjust while awaiting further updates on Kilian’s status.
