Orion Kerkering Optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley After Rough September

The Philadelphia Phillies have optioned struggling reliever Orion Kerkering to Triple-A Lehigh Valley following a difficult stretch that saw him post an 18.69 ERA across four appearances this month. Kerkering's ongoing struggles have become a primary bullpen concern for manager Don Mattingly as the team tries to establish reliable late-inning options for the sixth, seventh, and eighth frames heading into the critical final stretch of the regular season and upcoming postseason push.