June 01, 2025
The Phillies designated right-handed reliever José Ruiz for assignment and recalled Seth Johnson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the team announced on Sunday morning.
Ruiz surrendered five runs in an inning of work in the team's 17-7 loss on Saturday, ballooning his season-long ERA to 8.16. The 30-year-old had been a helpful piece for the Phillies in 2024, signed to a minor-league deal in the offseason before earning a major-league promotion and posting a 3.71 ERA in 51.0 innings pitched. But the wheels fell off quickly for Ruiz in 2025, particularly after he returned from a stint on the shelf caused by a neck injury.
Now, the hope is that Johnson, 26, can provide a spark for a unit in need of one. Acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in the Gregory Soto trade last summer, Johnson is a starter by trade who the Phillies elected to move to a bullpen role early on in 2025, hoping his fastball and slider would play up in shorter bursts.
Johnson's lone MLB appearance came in a spot start for the Phillies last season. It went disastrously, as he allowed nine earned runs in 2.1 innings of work. He has posted a 4.91 ERA in 33.0 innings pitched across 16 games (four starts) for the IronPigs in 2025, but has experienced a notable uptick in velocity in recent outings.
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