Jose Alvarado’s PED suspension was a major blow for the Philadelphia Phillies. Not only is the team set to be without him for 80 games, but he will not be available in the postseason if they can get there. The team began its journey without its best reliever on Sunday, and with Paul Skenes starting against them, it was easy to expect a loss. As it turns out, though, Mick Abel would have none of that in his MLB debut.

The Phillies promoted Abel from Triple-A to replace the injured Aaron Nola in their rotation against Skenes on Sunday, and the results couldn’t have been much better. The right-hander pitched six scoreless innings and struck out nine, outdueling Skenes in the process. Sure, he faced a dreadful Pirates offense, but Abel looked terrific in his first taste of big league action.

Vibes were incredibly low following the Alvarado news, but they’ve flipped in record time, thanks in large part to Abel.

Mick Abel’s dream debut makes Phillies fans forget all about Jose Alvarado news

Abel has been considered one of the team’s top prospects for years now, but waited until now to debut largely because of his shaky command. Well, he’s walking fewer batters than he ever has at Triple-A this season, and he didn’t issue a single free pass on Sunday. He was in complete control all day, while displaying some of his dynamic stuff that made him such an intriguing prospect.

How long Abel remains in the rotation remains to be seen. Nola is set to miss at least 15 days with his injury, so Abel figures to get another couple of starts, but when Nola returns, it’s not as if the Phillies need Abel with four other proven starters.

Still, the fact that Abel shows that he belongs at this level, even if he can’t quite stick in what could very well be the best rotation in the majors, is a win. At the end of the day, you can never have enough starting pitching. Plus, the Phillies could always get creative by moving a guy like Ranger Suarez, who has experience as a closer, into that role.

The bullpen without Alvarado will be tough for Rob Thomson to navigate. They were an arm or two short even with Alvarado in the mix, but without him, the Phillies will have to hope that guys like Jordan Romano, Matt Strahm, and Orion Kerkering are able to step up. They were able to on Sunday, but consistency is key.

The long-term outlook is worth getting a bit concerned about, but Abel looking like he belongs gives Phillies fans a short-term reprieve, at the very least.