News and Notes: Bowker, Schwimer, Biddle
Posted by Jay Floyd, Wed, August 31, 2011 11:15 AM | Comments: 9
Blueclaws, Injuries, Minor Leagues, News, Posts, Prospecting, Trades
Phils acquire Bowker, option Schwimer-
The Phillies have acquired left-handed batting outfielder John Bowker from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Details released on Wednesday state that the Phillies will send a player to be named or cash considerations to complete the deal at a later date.
The 28-year-old Bowker had gone 4-for-17 (.235 avg) in 19 games this year for the Pirates. In 106 games with Triple A Indianapolis this season, Bowker batted .306 with 15 homeruns and 76 RBI. Bowker, who has played in parts of five Major League seasons, is a former 3rd round draft pick by the San Francisco Giants.
Bowker’s career Major League batting line (.237/.289/.390) is not an improvement over the numbers produced by current Phils lefty hitting reserve outfielder Ross Gload (.280/.325/.408).
Bowker will wear number 16 for the Phillies and will be eligible for the post-season roster.
In an effort to clear a 25-man roster spot, the Phillies optioned Michael Schwimer to Triple A Lehigh Valley following Tuesday night’s victory over Cincinnati. The 25-year-old Schwimer is expected to return to the big league roster at some point after the rosters expand on September 1st. Jose Contreras, out for the year with a right elbow injury, was moved to the 60-day disabled list, to make room on the 40-man roster.
Biddle’s season ends early with knee injury-
In game 1 of the Lakewood BlueClaws’ Tuesday night double header against the Hickory Crawdads, lefty pitching prospect Jesse Biddle left a tied contest in the 5th inning with a right knee injury.
In the midst of a battle with division leading Hickory, whom the ‘Claws trailed by 4 games entering the day, Biddle served up a 2-run game tying double to highly-regarded Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar, and quickly grasped his knee after feeling the area tighten when he backed up home plate. Biddle, the Phillies’ 1st round draft selection last year, was tended to by the team’s training staff and limped off the field under his own power.
According to Biddle, he’ll return home to Philadelphia and visit a Phillies team doctor on Wednesday or Thursday. Biddle explained that the knee was causing him some discomfort through the entire outing, but the pain worsened in the 5th.
“My knee locked up on me out there,” Biddle stated. “It just didn’t feel good the whole game and running home to cover behind home plate really made it stiffen up and it didn’t really loosen that well for a while, so I just had to come out of the game.”
Biddle, 19, was named to the South Atlantic League Post-season All-star team on Tuesday. In his first full season as a professional, Biddle was deserving of the nod, sporting a 7-8 record, a 2.98 ERA and a .219 batting average against in 25 outings this year with Class A Lakewood.
The start for Biddle, who was already on a 5-innings-per-outing limit, was likely going to be his last of the season. A source stated that if the club missed the post-season, which seems likely, Biddle would not have taken his next turn in the rotation in the team’s final game of the season on Monday in Hagerstown.
Biddle is slated to spend time in the month-long Fall Instructional League, but that assignment could be in jeopardy, depending on the severity of the leg injury.
Another Lakewood All-star goes down with injury-
The BlueClaws’ other Post-season All-star representative, first baseman Jim Murphy, was also sidelined with an injury on Tuesday night. In the night cap of the double header, Murphy experienced pain in his left hand after fouling off a pitch. Murphy, who played in two games with the big league club in spring training this year, was unable to continue.
Murphy will also see a team physician. Early assessment of Murphy’s pain suggested that his issue was in the area of the hamate bone.
The BlueClaws split the Tuesday twin bill, to stay 4 games behind first place Hickory, with 5 games left to play in the regular season.
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Image- AP
Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league insider. You can read more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.
Posts: 0 Frank Riccard
So do we have any explanation regarding why they went for Bowker, of all people?
Posted: 12:30 PM on August 31, 2011
Posts: 1047 Manny
I think they’re trying to light a fire under Gload’s a$$…
Emphasis on “trying.”
Posted: 01:14 PM on August 31, 2011
Posts: 0 bacardipr05
Couldnt they have used Rizzoti. Or better yet called up Kratz ? Why they go with this guy?
Posted: 01:56 PM on August 31, 2011
Posts: 2520 Chuck A.
Who really cares if they traded for this guy? It’s not gonna hamper any other moves they might make. And options are a good thing.
Posted: 01:59 PM on August 31, 2011
Posts: 10 Boto
Hey, Aaron Rowand was just released. Should we have any interest in bringing him back?
Posted: 02:51 PM on August 31, 2011
Posts: 0 greg legg
If the punchless giants are cutting him loose, that says to me that Rowand is probably done as a productive hitter. Still have fond memories of ’07, though.
Posted: 03:09 PM on August 31, 2011
Posts: 238 Jay Floyd
Looking at Bowker’s stats from the IL, he’s a better option than a couple guys there that the Phils have as options to call up in Sept. from Lehigh, but I’d rather give his AB’s to Brown in Sept.
Posted: 03:55 PM on August 31, 2011
Posts: 0 greg legg
I enjoy talking about these roster obscurities, but I’m also thinking about the postseason rotation. Three man or four?
Posted: 04:28 PM on August 31, 2011
Posts: 0 Andrew from Waldorf
Interesting move in that you make a deal today to make someone eligible for the playoff roster. Is that the goal?
Its probably a nothing move.
Posted: 04:38 PM on August 31, 2011