The Philadelphia Phillies designated right-handed pitcher Brian Keller for assignment on Wednesday, a move that cleared a 40-man roster spot so the club could finalize a major-league contract with veteran left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr.
Cortes, who is building back up after arm surgery, was optioned to Single-A Clearwater. The corresponding roster decision ends, at least for now, Keller’s brief stay on the Phillies’ 40-man after a long and winding path that once ran through the New York Yankees organization.
Keller, a 32-year-old from Germantown, Wisconsin, made his major-league debut on July 25 against the Yankees, the same franchise that selected him in the 39th round of the 2016 draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Working behind an opener at Citizens Bank Park, he threw three innings, allowing one run on a home run by Austin Wells, two hits, no walks and three strikeouts. The Phillies optioned him back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley a few days later. He had signed a minor-league deal with Philadelphia in May after four years away from affiliated baseball.
That absence was the product of injuries that repeatedly interrupted his career. After developing in the Yankees system—where he reached Double-A Trenton and even threw a seven-inning no-hitter in 2019—Keller was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the minor-league phase of the 2021 Rule 5 draft.
He posted a 3.27 ERA across 113 innings at Triple-A Worcester in 2022 before becoming a free agent. He then attempted to pitch in Japan, but elbow problems, including Tommy John surgery, wiped out those seasons. The Phillies took a chance on the late bloomer, and he responded with a 3.86 ERA, a 23.2 percent strikeout rate and a 9 percent walk rate at Lehigh Valley before his midsummer promotion.
Keller does not overpower hitters. In his lone big-league outing he averaged about 92 mph on his fastball and leaned on a mid-80s cutter.
Philadelphia, still searching for reliable depth behind its top starters, ultimately decided that repertoire was not enough to keep him on the 40-man as Cortes arrived.
Keller will be placed on waivers this week. Because he has options remaining, another club could claim him and stash him in Triple-A. If he clears, the Phillies can outright him back to the minors and retain him in the organization.
The move is a reminder of how quickly roster spots turn over even for players who have already waited more than a decade for a first major-league opportunity.
For a pitcher who once belonged to the Yankees and finally reached the majors against them, the next chapter will be decided in the coming days on the waiver wire.
