Philadelphia is facing a clear issue with Jordan Romano. The Phillies brought in the right-handed reliever during the offseason, hoping he’d rebound from a disappointing, injury-shortened year with the Toronto Blue Jays. Given that he’s a two-time All-Star, his current performance has been surprising. Still, manager Rob Thomson continues to use him in save situations—something he did again on Wednesday against the Mets. Romano gave up two earned runs in the 10th inning, costing the team the game and pushing his ERA to 13.50.
Despite the struggles early on, Romano isn’t panicking. “There’s a lot of season left,” he told MLB.com. “We expect to win. Just a little rough patch.” However, fans in Philadelphia don’t want to hear that—it’s a city and team built on high expectations. The Phillies have been contenders in recent seasons, and anything less than top-level play draws criticism.
Fair or not, the pressure is on Romano and his teammates to step up fast. Romano has been a strong performer in the past, so his current form is surprising. Still, MLB is unpredictable, and after coming off an injury, it’s possible this is where he’s at now.
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