The Royals reinstated Strahm (knee) from the 15-day injured list Sunday.
The left-hander has been sidelined the past couple weeks due to knee inflammation, but he received an injection to address the injury and is now ready to rejoin the active roster. Strahm has a 3.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 17:7 K:BB across 16.1 innings while recording eight holds through 17 appearances this year.
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Royals' Matt Strahm: On track to return Sunday
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Strahm (knee) threw live batting practice Wednesday and is slated to throw a bullpen session Friday, putting him on track to be activated from the injured list when eligible Sunday, MLB.com reports.
Strahm landed on the injured list May 16 but appears to be recovering well after receiving an injection May 21 to address inflammation in his right knee. Manager Matt Quatraro said the southpaw looked great during a live batting practice session Wednesday, so barring any setbacks during his upcoming bullpen session, Strahm appears likely to be activated from the injured list when first eligible Sunday. Prior to being shelved, he posted a 3.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 17:7 K:BB across 16.1 innings.
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Royals' Matt Strahm: Receives injection for knee injury
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Strahm received an injection Monday to help with symptoms of right knee inflammation, MLB.com reports.
Strahm was placed on the injured list Saturday after patellar tendinitis flared up during his outing Friday. While a formal recovery timeline hasn't been established, the southpaw plans to keep his arm in shape as much as possible while rehabbing his knee back to full strength. Before being shelved, Strahm logged 16.1 innings with a 3.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 17:7 K:BB in 2026.
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Royals' Matt Strahm: Placed on injured list
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The Royals placed Strahm on the 15-day injured list Saturday with right knee inflammation.
Strahm's knee began to bother him during his appearance Friday, and although the Royals' training staff allowed him to finish the inning, the team will now send him to the injured list. He'll trade places on the IL with Bailey Falter (elbow), who was activated in a corresponding move.
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Royals' Matt Strahm: Tallies eighth hold
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Strahm allowed no hits and a walk while striking out two over a scoreless inning in Friday's win against the Mariners.
Strahm entered with a one-run lead in the eighth inning and worked a clean frame to record his eighth hold of the season. The southpaw has logged nine scoreless outings across 12 appearances in 2026. Across 11.2 innings, the 34-year-old owns a 3.86 ERA and 1.37 WHIP with a 14:6 K:BB and has served as one of the Royals' top high-leverage arms, though the ninth inning has belonged to Lucas Erceg while Carlos Estevez (foot) has been sidelined.
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Royals' Matt Strahm: Delivers clean appearance
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Strahm (leg) tossed a perfect inning of relief Friday in the Royals' 5-2 loss to the Giants in Cactus League play.
Strahm had been lifted from his previous spring appearance Wednesday after being struck in the left leg by a line drive, but he suffered nothing more than a contusion and felt well enough to get back on the mound two days later. The 34-year-old lefty is ready to go for Opening Day as he kicks off his second stint in the Royals organization after being acquired from the Phillies over the winter. Strahm is expected to be a key part of the bridge to closer Carlos Estevez.
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Royals' Matt Strahm: Exits with bruised leg
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Strahm was removed from Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Rangers with a left leg contusion, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Strahm was lifted immediately after taking a comebacker off his leg in the fifth inning of Wednesday's contest. Manager Matt Quatraro said after the game that the left-hander's removal was precautionary, and the team isn't too concerned about his status going forward -- a good sign that he'll be ready to go for Opening Day.
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Royals' Matt Strahm: Scoreless spring debut
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Strahm allowed a hit and no walks across a scoreless inning in Sunday's Cactus League win over the Brewers. He struck out one.
Strahm entered in the fifth inning to make his spring debut, working around a leadoff single by Cooper Pratt to retire the side without allowing a run. The veteran left-hander, who began his big-league career with the Royals in 2016, was acquired by Kansas City from Philadelphia in December in exchange for Jonathan Bowlan. Strahm is coming off a 2.74 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with a 10.1 K/9 across 62.1 regular-season innings out of the bullpen last season and figures to handle plenty of high-leverage opportunities for the Royals in 2026.
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Royals' Matt Strahm: Headed back to Kansas City
Rotowire
The Royals acquired Strahm from the Phillies on Friday in exchange for Jonathan Bowlan, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
It's a homecoming for Strahm, who was drafted by and first reached the majors with the Royals. The left-hander has been one of the best relievers in baseball in recent years, posting a 2.71 ERA, 30.5 percent strikeout rate and 6.2 percent walk rate over the last three regular seasons for the Phillies. Strahm will fill a high-leverage role ahead of closer Carlos Estevez.
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Phillies' Matt Strahm: Option for 2026 vests
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Strahm's $7.5 million option for 2026 has vested after he passed a physical, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
The option increased from $4.5 million to $7.5 million after Strahn reached an innings-pitched threshold in 2025, and it became guaranteed after the reliever passed a physical. Strahm held a 2.74 ERA and 70:20 K:BB over 62.1 innings this season and will fill a high-leverage role in the Phillies' bullpen again in 2026.
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Phillies' Matt Strahm: Records 18th hold
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Strahm struck out two in a clean eighth inning for a hold Saturday against the Marlins.
Strahm tied his career high with his 18th hold of the season Saturday. The left-hander has allowed a lone earned run over his last 12 outings, and he should remain a key component of the Philadelphia bullen to close out the campaign. Through 57.1 innings, Strahm owns a 2.83 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 67:18 K:BB.
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Phillies' Matt Strahm: Settling back into setup role
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Strahm picked up a hold in Saturday's 3-2 win over Texas, allowing one run on one hit and no walks in the eighth inning. He struck out one.
After spending a brief time in a committee at closer with Orion Kerkering amid Jordan Romano's struggles, Strahm has fallen back down the pecking order in Philadelphia's bullpen since Jhoan Duran was added to the mix. With Jose Alvarado also set to be reinstated from his 80-game suspension later in August, Strahm will likely soon have even more competition for high-leverage work. Strahm hasn't seen a save opportunity since July 13 in San Diego, though he does sport a 2.13 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 17:6 K:BB over his last 13 outings (12.2 innings).
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Phillies' Matt Strahm: Secures save Sunday
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Strahm walked two in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Padres.
Strahm threw just seven of 16 pitches for strikes, but he was able to avoid giving up a run to preserve a thin lead. He's on a six-inning scoreless streak, during which he has picked up two saves and one hold while adding a 7:4 K:BB. Strahm is at a 3.29 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 44:12 K:BB with six saves, 10 holds and four blown saves over 38.1 innings this season. The Phillies' closer role is a committee at this point, but Strahm has been more reliable than Jordan Romano or Orion Kerkering in recent weeks.
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Phillies' Matt Strahm: Fires clean eighth inning Saturday
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Strahm threw a clean eighth inning in Saturday's 5-4 loss to San Diego. He struck out two.
Even though Strahm hasn't seen a save chance since June 29, he's been excellent to start July. The veteran left-hander has fanned multiple batters in three of his first four appearances of the month, allowing a lone hit over four scoreless innings so far. It's worth noting Orion Kerkering has stumbled to a 6.23 ERA over his last 4.1 frames, which should give Strahm a leg up in Philadelphia's competition for save opportunities going forward.
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Phillies' Matt Strahm: Notches fourth save
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Strahm gave up a run on three hits in the ninth inning Wednesday to record his fourth save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Marlins. He struck out two.
Orion Kerkering worked a scoreless eighth inning against the top of Miami's order, while Strahm had a little trouble putting away the Marlins' 4-5-6 hitters but ultimately got the job done. The two relievers appear to be manager Rob Thomson's top high-leverage options at the moment, and between them Strahm and Kerkering have collected all three of the Phillies' saves in June. Matchups could be the biggest factor in determining which of them handle closing duties for any particular game, but Strahm will likely need to improve on his current form to stay in the mix -- the southpaw's been scored upon in three of his last four appearances, and over his last 10 games and 9.2 innings he's stumbled to a 6.52 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 9:3 K:BB.
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Phillies' Matt Strahm: Converts third save
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Strahm earned the save in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Blue Jays, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.
Strahm was called upon to protect a one-run lead in the ninth and needed just seven pitches to do so. It was notable that the southpaw was used against three right-handed hitters, perhaps a reflection of Jordan Romano allowing runs in three of his past four appearances. On the year, Strahm owns a 3.49 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 33:8 K:BB across 28.1 innings, and he could challenge for the closer role if Romano's struggles persist.
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Phillies' Matt Strahm: Second save in extra innings
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Strahm picked up the save in Thursday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Rays after allowing one unearned run on two hits in the 10th inning. He struck out two.
It was the second save of the year for Strahm, who was brought in to work the 10th frame after closer Jose Alvarado kept the game tied in the ninth. While Strahm began the season with a scoreless streak of 6.1 innings, he has a 4.82 ERA over his last 9.1 frames and has seen just three save chances overall this year. The southpaw is still one of Philadelphia's top left-handed relievers, but Strahm remains behind Alvarado in the bullpen pecking order when it comes to ninth-inning work.
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Phillies' Matt Strahm: Collects first save of 2025
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Strahm earned the save in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Giants, striking out one batter in a scoreless ninth inning.
Strahm was brought in for the ninth inning of Tuesday's game after usual closer Jose Alvarado was deployed in the eighth frame to preserve the Phillies' lead. Strahm needed only seven pitches (six of which were strikes) to dispatch the Phillies in order, including a three-pitch punchout of Patrick Bailey for the second out. Strahm has opened the season with a 1.23 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB across 7.1 innings.
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Phillies' Matt Strahm: Gives up first run this season
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Strahm gave up one run on one hit in one inning Sunday against St. Louis, striking out three.
Strahm threw 15 of his 19 pitches for strikes but struggled with his command, allowing a Yohel Pozo leadoff double to eventually come around to score following a wild pitch. It was the first run Strahm allowed so far this year, so the southpaw should remain Philadelphia's top left-handed setup man while Jose Alvarado works as the primary closer. Through 7.1 innings, Strahm has yielded only four hits, registered a 12:2 K:BB and tallied three holds.
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Phillies' Matt Strahm: Throws clean 10th inning in return
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Strahm (shoulder) threw a clean 10th inning with one strikeout in Thursday's 7-3 extra-inning win over the Nationals.
Strahm was unable to make his scheduled appearance in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays due left middle fingernail irritation, but he returned to action Thursday to retire the side and safeguard the victory for the Phillies. The veteran southpaw was limited to 1.2 frames during spring training due to a left shoulder impingement, but he bounced back after giving up six runs in two spring appearances. Jordan Romano was charged with a blown save after yielding two runs in the eighth inning Thursday, which could leave the door open for Strahm to see the occasional save chance while Philadelphia's bullpen pecking order is uncertain.
