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Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher David Robertson was really excited to see Bryce Harper hit a home run during the team’s Wild Card series versus the Cardinals last weekend.
Too excited, in fact, and his right calf muscle couldn’t handle it.
Roberston has been left off of the team’s NLDS roster against the Braves after straining that calf muscle while jumping in the air after Harper’s homer during Game 2 in St. Louis.
Per Rob Thomson: Phillies reliever David Robertson strained his right calf jumping up in the air when Bryce Harper homered against the Cards last round. He’s out for the division series.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) October 11, 2022
Although Zach Eflin has effectively replaced Robertson as the Phillies’ closer, the veteran right-hander has been a generally solid arm out of the ‘pen as he’s recorded a 2.70 ERA and limited hitters to a .193 average across 22 appearances since being traded from the Cubs to the Phillies in August.
His absence is definitely a blow for a Phillies team that already doesn’t have the most dependable bullpen and is a heavy underdog against the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves. With these teams slated to begin their NLDS series this afternoon at 1:07 p.m. ET, the Braves are favored at -185 to win the series, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.