José Alvarado DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado has been suspended for 80 games. The left-hander has tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance. According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, this suspension is effective immediately. Through the early part of the campaign, the left-hander has been a very effective option in the Philadelphia bullpen, holding a 2.70 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP. He has struck out 25 batters across 20 innings and tallied seven saves. The 29-year-old has generated a strong 2.77 xERA (86th percentile) and a 47.3% ground-ball rate (71st percentile). He has also shown a strong command of his pitches, tallying strikeouts at an elite 29.8% rate and serving walks at a 4.8% rate. While Alvarado is sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Jordan Romano to see most of the save opportunities in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Jose Alvarado earned his fourth save of the campaign on Thursday afternoon during their victory over the San Francisco Giants. Alvarado entered the game in the ninth inning but ran into some trouble. After retiring Casey Schmitt via a lineout, he would allow a solo shot to Tyler Fitzgerald. He would then allow a single to outfielder Jung Hoo Lee. However, the southpaw was able to hold the lead to seal the victory. Through his first nine 1/3 innings of work this season, the 29-year-old has held a 2.89 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP. He has tallied 14 punchouts and generated an elite 2.15 xERA, which suggests he should see positive regression during the summer. Alvarado has emerged as the primary ninth-inning option in Philadelphia and remains a must-start option in all leagues.

Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado picked up his third save of the season on Saturday, shutting down the St. Louis Cardinals to secure a 4-1 win. Alvarado struck out one in a perfect ninth inning. With Jordan Romano struggling early in the season and losing the closer role, Alvarado appears to finally be getting a crack at it. So far, he is making the most of it, pitching to a 1.23 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Alvarado should be rostered in any leagues where saves matter at this point.