Knebel was transferred to the 60-day injured list Sunday and won't return this season after being diagnosed with a tear in his right shoulder capsule, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
Knebel was already on the 15-day IL, but there had been hope that he would be able to return this season before he received the latest diagnosis of his shoulder injury. He'll receive stem-cell treatment in an effort to avoid surgery, though the issue could linger into the 2023 campaign. The Phillies' bullpen is left shorthanded, as closer Seranthony Dominguez (triceps) landed on the IL on Sunday.
Knebel (lat) was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday.
Knebel suffered a lat strain in Sunday's loss to the Mets and he will now be unavailable for at least 15 days while nursing the injury. Sam Coonrod (shoulder) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Monday and will replace him in the Phillies' bullpen.
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Phillies' Corey Knebel: Pulled with injury
Rotowire
Knebel was removed from Sunday's game game against the Mets with an apparent injury, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
Knebel walked two batters and threw only five of 14 pitches for strikes in one-third of an inning before exiting with an athletic trainer. The veteran right-hander should be considered day-to-day until more information is available.
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Phillies' Corey Knebel: Suffers lat strain
Rotowire
Knebel could miss some time after suffering a lat strain during Sunday's loss to the Mets, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
Knebel won't travel with the team for Monday's series opener in Cincinnati and will instead return to Philadelphia to undergo an MRI. The 30-year-old seems unlikely to be available for the three-game set against the Reds and may require a trip to the injured list.
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Phillies' Corey Knebel: Throws two scoreless frames for win
Rotowire
Knebel (3-5) did not allow a baserunner over two scoreless innings of work to pick up the win in a 2-1 victory over the Pirates on Saturday. He struck out two.
Knebel was called in to pitch the top of ninth with the game tied 1-1, and he delivered in the high-leverage situation. Knebel struck out pinch hitter Oneil Cruz to cap off a three-up, three-down ninth inning. When Knebel came back out for the 10th, he picked Cruz off second with a highly deceptive move. The two shutout innings give Knebel 10.2 scoreless innings pitched in the month of July. He was demoted from the closer role in June after struggling to throw strikes, but he appears to have returned to form.
Knebel allowed a walk and a strikeout across a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Saturday against the Cardinals.
Knebel earned his first save since June 10 and his 12th of the season. He has pitched in a setup role across the last month with both Brad Hand and Seranthony Dominguez working ahead of him in save situations. However, both Hand and Dominguez pitched on consecutive days prior to Saturday's contest, which allowed Knebel to make a presumably brief return to the closer role. Knebel has turned in eight consecutive scoreless appearances, during which he's maintained a 7:3 K:BB.
Knebel struck out two batters in a perfect seventh inning during the second game of Friday's doubleheader against the Nationals.
Knebel was removed from the closer role earlier in the week after a run of poor appearances, but his first outing away from the spotlight couldn't have gone much better. He was tasked with keeping the Phillies' deficit at two runs and did just that, getting Victor Robles to line out before striking out Lane Thomas and Juan Soto. It's unlikely that Knebel reclaims his closing job after just a single outing, but a run of similar performances could at least put him back in the saves mix.
Phillies' Corey Knebel: Moving out of closer's role
Rotowire
Interim manager Rob Thomson said Wednesday that Knebel will be moved out of the closer's role for now, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
Knebel suffered a shoulder injury over the weekend but returned to the mound Tuesday against the Marlins and was charged with the blown save by allowing three unearned runs on a hit and two walks while failing to record an out. The right-hander has struggled with his command over the last few weeks, posting a 4.26 ERA, 6:7 K:BB and 2.21 WHIP in 6.1 innings over his last seven starts. He'll attempt to right the ship while pitching in lower-leverage situations, while the Phillies will use a closer-by-committee approach for now. Brad Hand and Seranthony Dominguez seem like the top candidates for saves.
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Phillies' Corey Knebel: Blows save in return
Rotowire
Knebel (2-5) blew the save and took the loss after he did not record an out and allowed three unearned runs on a hit and two walks in an 11-9 defeat Tuesday against Miami.
After the first batter reached on an error, Knebel allowed the next three batters to reach safely. Only four of his 16 pitches were strikes in his first outing since experiencing shoulder tightness Saturday. He is now 11-for-15 in save opportunities and has a less-than-stellar 23:16 K:BB in 25 innings.
