The Philadelphia Phillies have signed pitcher Joe Ross of Berkeley, California to a one-year deal worth $4 million according to Leo Morgenstern of MLB Trade Rumors. Ross is an asset for the Phillies because he can be used as a starting pitcher as well as a reliever. Last season with the Milwaukee Brewers, he pitched 10 games as a starting pitcher and 15 games as a reliever.
Third Major League Baseball franchise
The Phillies are the third franchise Ross has pitched for. He previously spent five consecutive seasons with the Washington Nationals from 2015 to 2019, and again in 2021. While with the Nationals in 2019, Ross won the World Series as Washington beat Houston in seven games. He decided not to play in 2020 because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Ross then returned to the mound with the Milwaukee Brewers after not playing the 2022 and 2023 Major League Baseball seasons.
Why did Ross not pitch in 2022 and 2023?
Ross tore his ulnar collateral ligament on August 17, 2021 according to Jessica Camerato of mlb.com. Initially it was determined that Ross may avoid surgery. However, it was determined in May of 2022, Ross would need Tommy John Surgery for the second time after initially having it in 2017. Ross missed the entire 2022 season as a result. In 2023, Ross signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants, but did not play a game at the big league level.
2024 MLB season
Ross had a record of three wins and six losses with an earned run average of 3.77 in 25 games with the Brewers in 2024. During 74 innings pitched, he gave up 72 hits, 31 earned runs, seven home runs, and 29 walks, to go along with 66 strikeouts and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.37. Ross was actually much better last season as a reliever than a starter. He had an ERA of 1.67 as a reliever and 4.98 as a starter.
