Jhoan Duran Unleashes 104-MPH Heat on Return—How the Twins’ Closer Just Redefined MLB Velocity

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Phillies’ late-season bullpen makeover suffered a frightening jolt Friday night when newly acquired closer Jhoan Durán was carted off the field after a 94 mph comebacker struck his right ankle in the ninth inning of a 6-2 win over the Washington Nationals<CBS_URL /><Yahoo_URL />. Durán, 27, attempted to field Paul DeJong’s one-hopper before collapsing to the grass. After several minutes with trainers, the flamethrowing right-hander was unable to put weight on the leg and left Nationals Park on a medical cart. The club said X-rays were inconclusive and Durán will undergo additional imaging Saturday. Why the injury matters • Elite stuff: Since arriving from Minnesota at the July 31 trade deadline, Durán’s triple-digit splitter/fastball combo has produced four scoreless frames and four strikeouts. Overall he owns a 1.86 ERA, 20 saves and a .178 opponent average in 53 ⅓ innings, ranking among MLB’s top five relievers in strikeout rate and expected batting average. • High acquisition cost: Philadelphia shipped top catching prospect Eduardo Tait and former first-rounder Mick Abel to the Twins to stabilize a bullpen that blew 18 saves before August. Losing Durán for any stretch would make the deadline gamble far riskier. • Pennant implications: The Phils improved to 70-52, widening their NL East lead to 5½ games, but upcoming series vs. the Braves and Dodgers heighten the need for late-inning certainty. Next-man-up options Manager Rob Thomson said veteran David Robertson, activated earlier this week, and left-hander José Alvarado will be available “depending on match-ups” if Durán lands on the injured list. Rookie Orion Kerkering and righty Jeff Hoffman could also enter the ninth-inning mix, though neither possesses Durán’s raw velocity. Potential rehab timeline Comparable pitcher ankle contusions have ranged from a few days (e.g., Edwin Díaz 2022) to four weeks (e.g., Josh Hader 2023). If Durán avoided a fracture, the Phillies hope ice, anti-inflammatories and minimal weight-bearing will limit him to a short IL stint. A hairline fracture, however, would threaten his availability until mid-September, forcing Philadelphia to navigate a brutal schedule—17 of the next 27 games come against winning clubs—without its most overpowering arm. Trade-deadline ripple effect Philadelphia’s front office passed on rotation help in favor of bullpen firepower, trusting Zach Wheeler, Ranger Suárez and deadline addition Trevor Rogers to carry innings. Should Durán’s absence stretch beyond two weeks, the club could scour the waiver market for a veteran stopper; names such as Raisel Iglesias and Carlos Estévez could be available if their clubs fall out of contention after Aug. 31. Fantasy and betting angles Fantasy managers should immediately handcuff Robertson, whose cutter/curveball profile has yielded 11 saves and a 2.92 ERA this year. Sportsbooks briefly pulled Phillies division odds after the injury; when lines reopened, Philadelphia’s NL East price lengthened from –320 to –245, while Atlanta tightened from +260 to +210. What’s next Durán will travel back to Philadelphia for further tests Saturday morning. The Phillies open a three-game set in Miami on Monday; if an IL move is required, right-hander Connor Brogdon is the most likely call-up. For now, the clubhouse waits. “It’s gut-wrenching,” first baseman Bryce Harper said. “We brought Jhoan here to lock games down. Hopefully it’s just a bruise and he’s back blowing 102 real soon.” Philadelphia—and the entire NL playoff picture—will exhale when the imaging results arrive. Until then, the Phillies’ road to October just got a lot steeper without the game’s most electric new closer patrolling the ninth.