Phillies Nation

The hot corner has been a hot topic for Phillies fans all season long. The organization lacks a major-league-ready prospect to take over, and hasn’t decided if they will try and fill the position internally, via trade, or through free agency.

Players like Kevin Frandsen aren’t exactly long-term solutions. Freddy Galvis broke his back earlier in the year and can’t hit: he remains a major question mark from standpoints both health- and performance-related. Placido Polanco has an affordable option for 2013 but proved once again that he can’t stay healthy and can’t hit much when health isn’t an issue. The Phillies could mix and match and eke out some production from these players next season, but it’s clear they are in need of a long-term solution.

Frandsen won’t sustain his current pace next season. Polanco’s hitting is unlikely to improve while his defense probably stands to worsen. Fontenot is gone, and players of that ilk can’t be counted on for much. All told, the pupu platter platoon the Phillies could utilize next season has a high probability of floundering. There may be another option.

Chase Utley approached Ruben Amaro on Wednesday to present an unconventional idea: potentially move Utley to third base next season if the keystone was easier to fill internally or externally. This type of creative problem-solving is exactly what the Phillies need. While it’s unclear if it would work, it is absolutely worth a shot as it could greatly benefit both sides.

Continue reading Utley Considering Third Base?

The Phillies have placed catcher Brian Schneider on the 15-day DL with a strained left hamstring. Schneider was hitting .225/.289/.348 with 2 HRs serving as both Carlos Ruiz and, now, Erik Kratz‘s back-up. In what may be the surprise transaction of the year, Steven Lerud‘s contract has been purchased from Double-A Reading to take his place on the 25-man active roster. Lerud is the first player since Vance Worley in 2010 to be selected directly from Reading and is the second 2012 R-Phil that started the year in Reading that is now with the club.

Analysis: Lerud’s promotion is somewhat shocking. Lerud is hitting only .235/.350/.304 with 0 HR in only 120 PA for Reading, is one year removed from hitting .193/.268/.303 for the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate in 2011, and has only 28 career Triple-A plate appearances. Sebastian Valle, currently hitting .245/.269/.469 with 3 HR in 52 PA since being promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, was an Eastern League All-Star for Reading and is already on the 40-man roster. It is surprising that Valle was seemingly skipped over for Lerud, although, Lerud would likely clear waivers if they were to outright him to the minors at the completion of the season.

Lerud’s departure does guarantee every day playing time to two players at two different levels: with the big club, Erik Kratz, the second best hitter in baseball with at least 50 PA, will have 15 days of the plate likely to himself unless Valle is called up once the rosters expand and Tommy Joseph will be guaranteed to continue to get everyday playing time in Reading. Joseph is hitting .232/.325/.333 since joining the R-Phils with just 1 HR. Valle is a dark-horse candidate to receive playing time in September with the Phils; in his last 10 with the ‘Pigs, Valle is hitting .333/.344/.600 with 2 2B and 2 HR.

Schierholtz will miss at least three to four weeks with a broken right big toe. Photo: AP

Nate Schierholtz will miss at least three to four weeks with a broken right big toe, according to Matt Gelb. Schierholtz was hitting .219/.278/.344 (7 for 32) in 11 games with the Phillies with one home run. Gelb reports that Laynce Nix will see time in center field and Domonic Brown will remain primarily in right.

Infielder Hector Luna was recalled to replace Schierholtz. Luna is hitting .291/.338/.453 with six home runs for the IronPigs. No word on if Luna will see any time at third or how he would factor in with the hot-hitting Kevin Frandsen (.326/.367/.413, 15 for 49) manning the hot corner. Luna was likely called-up instead of an outfielder because the Phillies do not currently have any other outfielders on the 40-man roster aside from Double-A Reading’s Tyson Gillies, who is performing well (.293/.371/.441, 3 HRs, 8 SB) but whose time has been limited by injury and suspension (45 games played).

In other third base news, Placido Polanco is expected to start a rehab assignment Wednesday. Polanco began hitting last Thursday as first reported by the Morning Call and may be activated for Saturday’s game in Milwaukee. Polanco has been battling lower back inflamation.

Commentary: Although Schierholtz has struggled since arriving in Philadelphia, his .219/.278/.344 line has actually been better than Hunter Pence’s .154/.167/.288 line in San Francisco. Schierholtz has looked comfortable playing both center and right in 11 games in Philadelphia. Nix is an interesting choice to man center field in his absence, particularly with the availability of Brown, unless the Phillies value Brown’s arm more in right field.

(MLB)

UPDATE, 5:59 pm: According to the Allentown Morning Call, Kevin Frandsen will get the call tomorrow.

—————

Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco heads to the 15-day DL with what is being referred to as lower back inflammation retroactive to July 23, according to Phils beat writer Todd Zolecki. A corresponding roster move will be announced before tomorrow’s game and will depend on if the Phils complete any trades before tomorrow. Pete Orr or Kevin Frandsen are by far the most likely to add infield depth but B.J. Rosenberg or Tyler Cloyd could be called up if there are further transactions to add pitching depth, alleviating a pitching surplus at Lehigh Valley created by Jonathan Pettibone‘s promotion.

Polanco has hit just .255/.300/.328 this year but his defense will be missed. Polanco’s replacement Ty Wigginton has started the last three games at third but has committed three errors in the last three games. Orr is hitting .260/.300/.331 in 183 PA at Triple-A Lehigh Valley where he has played left field and third while Frandsen was an International League All-Star and is hitting .302/.337/.396 in 418 PA and is proficient at all infield positions. Polanco’s trip to the DL leaves the Phils with just five active infielders, not including Laynce Nix, barring any trades or promotions.

Part of trade rumors himself, Polanco has been linked to the Orioles in recent days and Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reported today that the Orioles would have “tried hard” to acquire Polanco had he not been placed on the disabled list.

On Friday, two players that could potentially provide some help to the big league Phillies roster this season were in action with the organization’s Gulf Coast League club, rehabbing their injuries. Right-handed reliever Justin De Fratus (elbow strain) and outfielder Domonic Brown (knee sprain) both looked good in their efforts down Florida.

De Fratus, who threw a scoreless frame for the GCL Phils on Friday while striking out two and allowing no baserunners, says that everything feels good and that he is slated to pitch again on Monday with the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers. De Fratus last pitched a scoreless inning on Tuesday, in his first official game action since April. At this stage, the 24-year-old is taking his progress on an appearance-by-appearance basis, as the Phillies plan to make sure each outing goes well, without any setbacks, before they make decisions on each subsequent appearance.

Additionally, Brown went 2-for-5 on Friday with two doubles and an RBI in the GCL Phillies’ 8-6 loss to the Braves. The 24-year-old is 10-for-16 (.625 batting average) with seven doubles and four RBI in four contests this week with the GCL club.

It’s unclear when Brown, who played in 47 games with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs this season, prior to missing time with a knee sprain, might come back north, but it will likely occur in the coming days, barring any setbacks for the 6-foot-5-inch 205-pounder.

______________________________________________________________

Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league insider. You can read more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.

Ryan Howard continued to test his recovering Achilles tendon as he rehabbed for the second time in as many nights with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws on Friday. The 32-year-old slugger has been sidelined following off-season surgery to repair the tendon he ruptured in the final at bat of the Phillies’ 2011 postseason.

In game action on Friday, facing highly regarded Nationals prospect Alex Meyer, who throws a fastball that ranges from 96-98 MPH, Howard went 1-for-2 with a single and a strike out. Howard played first base for five innings and looked good, moving laterally with no problems and completing the end of three different BlueClaws double plays with ease. The efforts on Friday followed his 2-for-4 effort on Thursday, in which laced two singles, hit a Sac fly and drove in three runs as the Lakewood designated hitter.

Following the game on Friday, Howard told the media that he is slated to return to Lakewood for another rehab game on Saturday, in which he will again serve as the team’s DH.

The BlueClaws won Friday night’s contest against the Hagerstown Suns by a score of  6-1, behind a strong pitching effort from lefty Ethan Stewart, who allowed just one unearned run in six innings of work, and the hot bat of Chris Duffy (15-game hitting streak), who put the BlueClaws ahead in the 8th inning with an RBI single. Additionally, third baseman Maikel Franco mashed a Josh Smoker pitch into the night for a grand slam that capped the scoring for the ‘Claws in the 8th frame.

Following his outing, Howard spoke with a few members of the media and offered up the following quotes… Continue reading Ryan Howard Rehab Notes & Quotes

Ryan Howard hadn’t run the bases in a competitive situation until arriving in Lakewood on Thursday. He hadn’t hit in a game that counted. Until Friday, he hadn’t fielded at game speed.

That the Phillies chose to allow Howard to play first base one night after he made his rehab debut was a positive sign. Howard in his postgame press conference Thursday said repeatedly that he didn’t know what the next step was. He didn’t know if he’d play two nights in a row. He didn’t know when he’d play the field. He had to talk the “guys upstairs.”

Then about 10 minutes later, Lakewood’s director of public relations entered the press room and announced that Howard would play first base Friday night.

The Phillies miss Ryan Howard. A lot.

This season has taught us a lot about the Phillies. One lesson is that, despite what WAR may and may not say, a platoon of mediocre first basemen is not equal to Howard. Forget about the strikeouts and the declining slash-lines. The prior notion that a league-average first baseman could produce as much as Howard is simply not true.

Phillies’ first basemen entered Friday with a season batting line of .261/.321/.417, with 11 homers and 41 RBI. They had 26 walks to 80 strikeouts.

In 2011, easily the worst season of Howard’s career, he hit .253/.352/.484 over the first 78 games, with 16 homers and 62 RBI. He had 41 walks to 88 strikeouts.

Those numbers are nearly identical to what Curtis Granderson is doing this season, and Granderson has been worth 10.8 offensive runs so far, according to Fangraphs. Phillies’ first basemen have been worth 1.4 offensive runs.

Howard had five more homers, 21 more RBI, 15 more walks and eight more strikeouts through 78 games than the Phillies’ 2012 first basemen. Thirty-one more points of OBP, 67 more points of slugging.

That difference of nearly 10 runs between Howard and the collection of Ty Wigginton, Laynce Nix, Jim Thome and John Mayberry could have come at any time. It could have come in the form of a first-inning three-run homer that allowed the Phils to cruise to a victory they didn’t get. It could have come in the form of an RBI single with a runner on third, where Mayberry or Wigginton flew out gently. With how awfully the Phils have performed in close games this season, no single run can be taken for granted.

Howard will return at July 17 or earlier, barring a setback. He is no longer worried about his Achilles’, he said Thursday night, only about recovering his timing at the plate, in the field and on the bases. He won’t be 100 percent during the second-half of the season, but 85 percent of Ryan Howard is still probably more valuable than the league-average production the Phils have received from first base.

Those prolonged myths about Howard being expendable because his WAR said so… those can be laid to rest.

He’s not Joey Votto, he’s not Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder or Miguel Cabrera. But he’s a difference-making bat who will give you between a .850 and .930 OPS over the next handful of seasons. Whether that’s worth $125 million, let’s debate it for the 767th time… another time.

Hopefully the first 78 games of the 2012 season explained why we’ve been foolish to take Ryan Howard for granted.

Left-handed pitching prospect Nick Hernandez has experienced another bump in the long road to recovery, following two years of shoulder troubles. Hernandez confirmed exclusively with PhoulBallz.com that he will require another surgery and be out of action for the remainder of the season.

Hernandez, a 12th round draft selection in 2009, became an All-Star in the South Atlantic League with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws in 2010 by posting a 3-1 record with a 1.61 ERA while striking out 52 and walking just 8 in 56 innings pitched.

Following his exceptional start to his pro career, the 6-foot-5-inch 205-pounder began experiencing discomfort in his throwing shoulder and was shut down for much of the remainder of the season. He rehabbed that year, making four starts with the Gulf Coast League Phillies, but experienced recurring pain and did not return to action until the Florida Instructional League that fall. Continue reading LHP Hernandez Out For Season Following Setback

Second baseman Chase Utley is set to return for the Phillies after competing in a rehab outing with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Tuesday night. In the club’s 10-2 win over Rochester, the five-time All-Star slapped a single and slammed a home run while striking out twice in five at bats.

Utley has been out of action until recently with chondromalacia in his left knee.

Prior to playing for Lehigh Valley, Utley posted a .159 batting average with one homer and five RBI in nine games with Class A Advanced Clearwater.

Continue reading Utley and Howard Near Return

Tropical Storm Debby swept through Florida this weekend and impacted the home of the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers, Brighthouse Field.

In these images tweeted by rehabbing Phillies reliever Justin De Fratus, the flooding left by the heavy rains can be seen. With lingering effects of Debby expected to continue to drop moisture on Florida through Monday, it is unclear exactly how the team’s schedule will be effected, as the Threshers are on the road until Thursday. The Gulf Coast League Phillies, who also play in Clearwater, have home games scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. The GCL team plays most of its games on the neighboring Carpenter Complex field. Continue reading Clearwater Facilities Flooded by Storm