Jhoan Durán injury reminds Phillies fans they can't have anything nice

Every Philadelphia Phillies fan held their breath in dreadful anticipation on Friday night when star closer Jhoan Durán came up limping after a hard comebacker off the ankle. He came in with the Phillies up 6-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals. Paul DeJong, sporting a pencil-colored bat, set a hard line-drive ricocheting off of Durán's right ankle.

Durán initially chased the ball toward the first base line, but as soon as it was clear he couldn't get there, he stopped dead in his tracks. The hard-throwing righty was unable to put pressure on his bum foot.

After a torturous seven-minute stint of hapless wondering, the hearts of Phillies fans sunk when the bullpen cart came out to take Durán back to the locker room.

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Phillies fans panic after Jhoan Durán ankle injury vs. Nationals

This was naturally a cause for concern among Philadelphia fans. Durán has four shutout innings (and four saves) with only one hit allowed since the trade deadline. For a team that has so desperately needed another high-leverage arm, Durán was a dream addition for the Phillies. The 27-year-old pairs a fastball in the 100s with a nasty high-90s splinker and the occasional curveball, producing a ton of strikeouts and consistent ground-ball contact — a uniquely valuable combination.

When he came up limping, Phillies fans took to Twitter en masse for a collective grief session.

This was an emotional moment for the Phillies faithful, which naturally meant Rob Thomson came under immediate fire in some sections of the fandom. It was not technically a save situation for Durán, so many questioned why he was on the field to begin with.

Unfortunately, this was just bad luck — not a case of mismanagement from Topper. While it's only natural to want someone to blame, injuries happen. Durán hasn't pitched in a week and it was only a four-run lead, which means one hit (like Paul DeJong's leadoff infield single) would've turned it into a save situation. Thomson has long said he views four-run leads as a save situation in the ninth because of the three-batter rule, which is a totally reasonable opinion.

David Robertson managed to step in and pick up the save in a pinch, but Phillies fans are only concerned about Durán's ankle right now.

Phillies cannot afford extended absence from Jhoan Durán

It goes without saying that the Phillies reeeeally need Durán to be okay. He has the lifeblood of a vulnerable bullpen and by far their most dependable arm in late-game, high-leverage situations. Without Durán, the Phillies' bullpen regresses from a source of strength to a potential liability.

That said, there is good news on the Durán front. He was able to leave the X-ray room under his own power, per Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. There is still a lot unknown about Durán's condition, but he wasn't sped to the hospital for surgery on a broken bone, which is (hopefully) a positive sign.

Here's to hoping this is only a minor setback for Durán, because if it's anything serious... the Phillies are in trouble.