Phillies' answer to Jose Alvarado's PED suspension is Jordan Romano

The Canadian right-hander stumbled through an injury-marred 2024, leading to his departure from Toronto and eventual discount-bin signing by the Phils, who pegged the two-time all-star to end games.

Romano, 32, squandered the closer's role in Philly and got demoted to mid-innings relief after a nauseating 12.19 ERA through April.

But his May has been sensational, pitching to a 0.00 ERA, with a 10-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 7 innings this month.

And even before Alvarado's suspension, Romano seemed to have regained the trust of Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who began slotting Romano back into high-leverage spots.

A lights-out Romano would be the best salve to losing Alvarado. Lest we forget that Romano was a dominant closer more than Alvarado ever was, wielding a checkmate slider to rack up 95 saves from 2021-23.

Romano's slide-piece looks to be back, slashing through the zone and earning Rob Friedmans attention.

In the meantime, the Phillies hope lefty Tanner Banks can do a sufficient enough job to support the high-leverage guys - Romano, Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering - while Alvarado is gone. But Banks is not a permanent solution.

Alvarado's suspension lasts till mid-August, and here's what really stinks: He'll be ineligible for postseason. That's the Phillies' biggest concern: having an iffy bullpen for a playoff run.

The team could upgrade the 'pen for the playoffs with two big weapons that are already on the roster: Ranger Suarez and Andrew Painter.

After missing the first month of the season with a back injury, Suarez has returned to the rotation and has cranked out a couple quality starts. But there was a time when Suarez flourished in a relief role in 2021, and he earned the save in the final game of the 2022 NLCS.

Painter - the team's most hyped prospect since Cole Hamels - is currently on a minor-league rehab assignment after missing two seasons due to Tommy John surgery and is expected to make his MLB debut in July.

His sizzling 99-mph fastball would be perfect in a late-inning role.