Phelps is retiring from professional baseball, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Phelps, 36, made the decision after undergoing a procedure to reattach the lat muscle to his right shoulder. The right-hander appeared in 367 MLB games with a 3.67 ERA over a 10-year career.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Opening second game of twin bill
Rotowire
Phelps is scheduled to serve as the Blue Jays' opening pitcher for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Orioles, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Phelps is unlikely to work more than one or two innings before exiting the contest. Casey Lawrence and Yusei Kikuchi are the primary candidates to cover the bulk of the innings out of the bullpen once Phelps' day is done.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Collects sixth hold
Rotowire
Phelps walked one and struck out one in a scoreless eighth inning Thursday to record his sixth hold of the season in a win over the Rays.
With closer Jordan Romano getting a breather, the other members of the Blue Jays' bullpen picked up the slack as Adam Cimber notched the save. Phelps stumbled at times in June, posting a 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 10:5 K:BB through 12 innings on the month, but the right-hander should remain in a middle relief/setup role and appears headed for his first season with double-digit holds since 2017.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Grabs rare save
Rotowire
Phelps allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Sunday's 11-10 win over the Angels.
Closer Jordan Romano pitched in each of the last three games, so he wasn't available for this contest. Phelps was able to make a one-run lead stand in the ninth inning to earn his first save since 2019 as Yimi Garcia and Adam Cimber were already utilized earlier in the game. Phelps has done well in a less prestigious role in 2022, posting a 2.41 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 17:9 K:BB with four holds and an 0-1 record through 18.2 innings across 21 appearances.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Picks up second hold
Rotowire
Phelps walked two batters and recorded only one out but still recorded his second hold of the season in Wednesday's win over the Yankees.
Entering the game in the top of the seventh inning with the Blue Jays nursing a 2-1 lead, Phelps walked Josh Donaldson and Aaron Hicks to put the tying run in scoring position, but Tim Mayza was able to escape the jam after replacing the right-hander on the mound. Phelps has had a mostly solid start to the season, posting a 2.61 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 10:5 K:BB through 10.1 innings, but his role in middle relief affords him only occasional high-value opportunities from a fantasy perspective.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Makes roster
Rotowire
Phelps' contract was selected by the Blue Jays on Friday, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.
Phelps signed a minor-league contract with Toronto in November which contained an opt-out, allowing him to hit the open market if he failed to make the Opening Day roster. He will indeed wind up making the team and stands a good chance of helping the Blue Jays, as he owns a 3.12 ERA since the start of the 2016 season.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Gets fully cleared for spring
Rotowire
Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo confirmed Tuesday that Phelps (lat) is a "full go" for spring training after the right-hander recently completed a bullpen session, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.
Phelps' 2021 season came to an end in early May when he sustained a significant right lat injury that later required surgery. While he only made a small sample of 11 appearances before getting hurt, Phelps was a dominant weapon out of the Toronto bullpen, producing a 0.87 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 15:4 K:BB across 10.1 innings. He could have as shot at earning a meaningful high-leverage role if he shows in spring training that he's recaptured the form he displayed early in 2021.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Re-ups with Jays
Rotowire
Phelps (lat) re-signed with the Blue Jays on Monday on a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to major-league spring training.
Phelps should have a legitimate chance at capturing a spot in the Blue Jays' Opening Day bullpen, provided he proves in spring training that he's made a full recovery from the season-ending surgery he required last May to repair a torn right lat. Before developing the injury, Phelps was a standout performer in relief for Toronto in a small sample of 10.1 innings, allowing just one earned run on eight hits and four walks while striking out 15. The 35-year-old boasts a 3.90 ERA and 1.32 WHIP over 302 career big-league appearances.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Undergoes season-ending surgery
Rotowire
Phelps underwent season-ending surgery on his right lat Tuesday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
The Blue Jays said in mid-May that Phelps' lat strain was a significant one, and it's now clear exactly how significant it is. He won't pitch until next season, at which point he'll be 35 years old.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Transferred to 60-day injured list
Rotowire
Phelps (lat) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Saturday.
The righty was initially placed on the 10-day IL on May 6, but the severity of his lat strain demands a more extended absence. This marks yet another blow to the Blue Jays' injury-riddled bullpen, which adds lefty Nick Allgeyer, whom the team called up Saturday.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Dealing with significant strain
Rotowire
Phelps' lat strain was confirmed to be a significant one Friday, though he remains without a clear timeline for his return, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.
The MRI that Phelps underwent Tuesday evidently offered the Blue Jays some clarity, but not enough that they were able to offer a clear timetable for his recovery. His loss is a big one for the Blue Jays, as he'd allowed just one earned run in 10.1 innings before hitting the injured list.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Sent for MRI
Rotowire
Phelps (lat) was sent for an MRI on Tuesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Phelps hit the injured list with a strained right lat Thursday. His return timeline should become clearer once the results of his MRI are made public.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Lands on injured list
Rotowire
Phelps was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right lat strain Thursday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
Phelps exited Wednesday's win over the Athletics due to a right shoulder issue, and he'll miss additional time after he was diagnosed with a lat strain Thursday. It's not yet clear when Phelps will be able to return to game action. Hyun Jin Ryu (hip) was recalled ahead of his scheduled start Thursday in a corresponding move.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Exits with shoulder issue
Rotowire
Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said after Wednesday's 9-4 win over the Athletics that Phelps was lifted from his relief appearance due to right shoulder discomfort, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.
The right-hander was summoned in the top of the eighth to protect a four-run lead, but he apparently felt off while warming up, as he was pulled before he even faced a hitter. Phelps will receive imaging on his shoulder Thursday as the Blue Jays look to gain a better sense of the extent of his injury.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Exits with injury
Rotowire
Phelps was removed from Wednesday's win over the A's with an undisclosed injury, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
The 34-year-old was called upon to start the eighth inning for Toronto, but he didn't end up throwing a pitch as he apparently tweaked something while warming up. Phelps has surrendered only one run with a 15:4 K:BB through 10.1 innings this season, so it would be a tough break for him and the Blue Jays' bullpen if he's forced to miss any time.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Picks up second hold
Rotowire
Phelps gave up a hit and a walk over two-thirds of an inning to record his second hold of the season in Wednesday's win over the Red Sox. He struck out one.
The right-hander replaced Tommy Milone with one out and two on in the fifth inning, and he promptly let one of the inherited runners score on an Enrique Hernandez double, but Phelps had plenty of cushion with the Jays holding a 4-1 lead. He hadn't pitched in eight days since being struck in the back by a Clint Frazier comebacker, but Phelps seemed 100 percent in his return to the mound. He'll primarily fill a middle-relief role when the Toronto bullpen is back at full strength.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Managing bruised back
Rotowire
Phelps suffered a back contusion when struck by a line drive during Tuesday's win over the Yankees, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
The 34-year-old was struck by a hard liner off the bat of Clint Frazier to open the eighth inning, resulting in his removal from the contest. Phelps appears to have avoided a serious injury and should be considered day-to-day.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Tosses scoreless inning
Rotowire
Phelps pitched a scoreless first inning as the opener Friday, allowing one walk and striking out two in a loss to the Angels.
Phelps took a turn as an opener in Friday's game, and he did his job fairly well. He's allowed only one unearned run in five innings this season, with a 1.20 WHIP, five strikeouts and a hold in five appearances. The 34-year-old right-hander appears set for a flexible role in the Blue Jays' bullpen, although he's most likely to work in the middle innings for now.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Wrapping up strong spring
Rotowire
Phelps has posted a 5.14 ERA and 12:0 K:BB through seven Grapefruit League innings.
The ERA is inflated by two untimely homers, but otherwise Phelps has been dealing this spring. The veteran righty was expected to fill a middle-relief role for the Jays this season, but with Kirby Yates (elbow) out of the picture, Phelps could join the high-leverage mix alongside Jordan Romano and Rafael Dolis if he keeps piling up strikeouts.
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Blue Jays' David Phelps: Heads to Toronto
Rotowire
Phelps signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal with the Blue Jays on Thursday, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.
The 34-year-old righty struggled to a 6.53 ERA in 20.2 innings for the Brewers and Phillies last year, though his underlying numbers give at least some reason for optimism. His 36.5 percent strikeout rate and 5.9 percent walk rate were both excellent, but he was undone by a 41.2 percent HR/FB rate -- seven of the 17 flyballs he allowed all season cleared the fence. He hasn't been particularly homer-prone in the past, so he should still be a useful piece for the Blue Jays this season if that number normalizes.
