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Phillies place José Alvarado on the restricted list; Michael Mercado recalled from triple A

Alvarado will be away from the team to attend to "a personal matter," according to the Phillies

Phillies pitcher Jose Alvarado has a 4.30 ERA in 56 games this season.
Phillies pitcher Jose Alvarado has a 4.30 ERA in 56 games this season.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

José Alvarado has been placed on the restricted list while he attends to “a personal matter,” the Phillies announced on Monday.

Alvarado was in the clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park on Monday afternoon, but left the club prior to the series opener against Houston. The restricted list allows a team to keep a player on the team and retain their rights without them counting against the roster. A team has the option keep a player on a restricted list indefinitely.

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Alvarado pitched a scoreless inning against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. His 56 appearances tied for the team lead with Jeff Hoffman entering Monday’s game with the Astros.

To fill Alvarado’s spot on the 26-man roster, right-hander Michael Mercado was recalled from triple-A Lehigh Valley. Mercado made his major league debut with the Phillies earlier this season, but was hit hard in his last two appearances with the big-league club and was sent down to triple A on July 20.

Back in triple A, Mercado has posted a 3.24 ERA and has only allowed one home run across 8⅓ innings in August.