Phillies Nation

According to our own Pat Gallen, Roy Halladay has officially been placed on the 15-day DL with what is being referred to as shoulder inflammation.

Joe Savery has been recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley as a reliever to take the extra roster spot with a corresponding move expected Friday to determine who will take Halladay’s spot in the rotation. Savery is available to pitch tonight in San Francisco.

Per confirmation from Fightins Director of PR Eric Scarcella, the Philadelphia Phillies have signed LHP Greg Smith. Smith, 29, is a 6’1″ lefty from LSU who spent parts of 2008 and 2010 in the Majors with the Oakland A’s and Colorado Rockies. In MLB 229.1 IP, Smith has a 4.51 ERA with 1.28 K/BB. Smith stays in the mid-to-high 80s and relies on precision from his fastball, change-up, curve, and slider.

In 2012, Smith posted a 3.97 ERA in 21 starts in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League with a 1.258 WHIP. Smith is scheduled to start tonight’s game for the Fightins against the Portland Sea Dogs.

Analysis: A solid pick-up, particularly considering how many arms the Phillies seem to be going through right now. Smith will fill in well for the Phils in both Double-A and Triple-A this year as needed as some of their prospects get a look.

Has #BiddleWatch officially begun? After further review, not likely. This move, to me, does not necessarily indicate to me that the Phillies anticipate using either a starter from Triple-A and promoting a Double-A player to backfill or, less likely, promoting a Double-A pitcher to fill Doc’s spot.

Reading just lost Tom Cochran to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and was using Hector Neris, primarily a reliever, as another starter. Brody Colvin is fresh off the DL and pitching well. This move was more likely in support of the Reading rotation rather than choreographing any other future move.

Slow start or Quintero’s addition? Either way, Gillies heads back to Reading.

According to Reading Fightins Director of Public Relations Eric Scarcella, CF Tyson Gillies has been demoted to Double-A Reading. Gillies, 24, has looked just short of lost in his first shot at Triple-A, hitting .148/.278/.230 in 73 PA and has been outplayed at every turn, at the plate and on the field, by outfielders Leandro Castro (.298/.322/.488, 3 HR in 88 PA), Darin Ruf (.266/.320/.489, 4 HR in 103 PA), Jermaine Mitchell (.265/.357/.510 in 56 PA), Steve Susdorf (.286/.355/.398 in 31 PA), and even sometimes-outfielder Michael Martinez (.266/.314/.297 in 70 PA). Gillies incredibly slow start is a major disappointment in what is his first season where he has not battled injuries.

In a semi-related move, Humberto Quintero has cleared waivers and has accepted his assignment to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He will likely serve as the back-up for 21-year old Tommy Joseph, who has raised his triple-slash line to .200/.257/.354 with 3 HR. According to the Express Times’ Michael LoRe, Quintero is due to report today but has not yet been officially been added to their roster. Quintero’s assignment likely triggered the Gillies-to-Reading move but it is uncertain at this time if the Quintero move directly caused Gillies’ demotion.

Cochran, no, not that Tom Cochran, will return to the IronPigs.

Per Matt Provence, lefty starter Tom Cochran has been promoted from Reading to Lehigh Valley. Cochran, 33, was 0-3 with a 5.73 ERA in Reading this season after posting 9-5 record with a 3.96 ERA last year for the ‘Pigs. Cochran will likely replace the rotation spot left vacant by Jonathan Pettibone; the IronPigs had been using a starter-by-committee system to this point, having Zach Miner and Cesar Jiminez start bullpen games.

In a corresponding move, righty reliever Justin Friend has been demoted to Reading. Friend, 26, set the single-season saves record last year at Reading, racking up 24 with a 0.23 ERA before earning his first shot at Triple-A baseball. Friend has struggled in 2013, posting a 7.07 ERA in 14 IP, struggling with increased walks (7.7 BB/9 IP v. a career average of 4.5) and decreased strike outs (6.4 K/9 IP v. a career average of 9.5). Headed into Spring Training, Friend earned consideration for the big league club as a non-roster invitee and was selected by the Phillies in the Minor League portion of the December 2010 Rule 5 draft from the Oakland A’s.

Tops on the Phillies’ developmental hot list is Double-A Reading Ace Jesse Biddle, who, in his last two outings, has thrown 13 scoreless innings, while allowing just two total hits and striking out 26 batters.  Overall this season, Biddle, who was the Phils’ 1st round draft selection in 2010, has a 2-1 record with a 1.74 ERA and a .114 batting average against.

Last week, Biddle locked down a win against Harrisburg, when he struck out 16 and allowed only one hit and no runs over seven innings.

On Sunday, in Reading’s 2-1 win over New Hampshire, the left-handed 21-year-old fanned 10 New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto affiliate).  The video clip below features Biddle striking out the side in the 5th inning and speaking to the media following his second consecutive tremendous effort.

Continue reading Minor League Notebook: 4/29/13

Will it be Quintero (pictured) or Kratz who stays with the Phillies? Photo: AP

With CHOOCH coming back tomorrow afternoon, the Phillies will have to clear some space on the roster. Within the next 14 or so hours, the Phillies will decide between the following options to open up Chooch’s spot:

Option A:Keep Erik Kratz on the 25-man active roster, try to clear Humberto Quintero through waivers while keeping him on the 40-man roster and outright either Tyler Cloyd (7.65 ERA in 20 IP, 1.95 WHIP) or Michael Stutes (6.94 ERA in 11.2 IP, 1.71 WHIP)

Option B: Keep Kratz on the 25-man active roster, outright Quintero off of the 40-man roster and hope/don’t mind if he clears waivers

Option C: Use Kratz’s last option year, shuttle him to Allentown, keep Quintero on the 25-man active roster, and outright either Cloyd or Stutes

The easiest option seems to be option B: Keep Kratz and don’t mind if someone picks Quintero up because the Phillies already have two catchers in Lehigh Valley. But has Quintero, who is hitting .250/.286/.356, earned a shot to stay?

Continue reading Is There a Case For Quintero?

Philadelphia Phillies (8-11) vs Pittsburgh Pirates (10-7)

Jonathan Pettibone (0-0, 0.00) vs  A.J. Burnett (1-2, 2.63)

TIME: 7:05, Citizens Bank Park
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Weather: 51, mostly cloudy
Media: Twitter and Facebook

Jonathan Pettibone makes his Major League debut tonight against the cross-state rival Pittsburgh Pirates. Pettibone, 22, is the youngest Phillie starting pitcher to make his debut with the team since Vance Worley started as a 22 year old in 2010. Pettibone’s AAA stats this year are a bit misleading: Pettibone has a 9.64 ERA with a 4.88 BB/IP in 9.1 IP against a 2.55 ERA in 42.1 IP last year for Lehigh Valley after a late season call-up.

Crashburn Alley’s Eric Longenhagen says Pettibone: has terrific control but spotty command, meaning he throws a ton of strikes because his mechanics take him directly toward the plate but he doesn’t always throw them where he wants. He left several pitches up in the zone which he won’t get away with tonight if it continues. Pettibone, per Longenhagen, sits in the low 90s with his fastball and has a low 80s change-up.

The Phillies will face A.J. Burnett tonight, who in 164 PA, current Phillies are hitting .255/.355/.462. Chase Utley is hitting a career .296/.406/.593 against Burnett in 32 PA. Burnett and the Phillies have some history: Burnett defeated the Phillies in Game 2 of the 2009 World Series while the Phillies got some revenge in Game 5 by chasing him in the third.

Lineup: Rollins SS, Mayberry RF, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Young 3B, Brown LF, Revere CF, Kratz C, Pettibone P

GAMEDAY BEER: 8.5 Pirate

I’m going to be honest – I have never heard of this beer before tonight, but this Belgian import sure has a cool can with a simple but awesome name. Hopefully the Phillies put up 8.5 or more runs tonight and avenge the Western PA sailors. Argh matey!

Go Phillies!

After striking for two runs in the first, the Phillies offense was unable to get to a very hittable Jake Westbrook through six innings on Sunday night.  Enter the Cardinals bullpen.  The Phils scored five runs in the seventh and eighth – three of which came off a towering three-run shot from Erik Kratz – to notch a 7-3 victory and a series split against St. Louis.  Kyle Kendrick kept his team in it with a gutsy six-inning performance against a potent Cardinals lineup.

Kyle Kendrick was solid again on Sunday for the Phillies.

OFFENSE COMES UP BIG WHEN IT COUNTS

- After grounding into a rally-killing double play in the sixth, Ben Revere redeemed himself two innings later when he stung a tie-breaking single up the middle in the eighth off Cardinals reliever Mitchell Boggs.  Kratz hit the next pitch from Boggs deep into the cold Philadelphia night to blow it open, and the Phillies concluded their nightmarish week on a high note.

- Within that eighth inning, Michael Young extended his hitting streak to 12 games in controversial fashion.  Young hit a routine ground ball that deflected off Cardinals reliever Mitchell Boggs’ glove into the infield’s no man’s land.  The hometown scorer quickly credited Young with a hit.  Young scored the game-winning run shortly thereafter on Revere’s single.

- It wasn’t all good for the Phillies on Sunday night.  Revere’s double play was one of three in big spots for the Phillies and squandered a bases loaded, one-out opportunity.  An inning later, the Phils couldn’t get Laynce Nix home from second base with no outs after he tied the game with a pinch hit double.  The Phillies left nine runners in scoring position.

PITCHERS DO THEIR JOB

-Kyle Kendrick put together his third consecutive solid start, battling through six innings despite throwing 53 pitches in the first two frames.  Kendrick gave up two runs, eight hits and a walk, striking out six Cardinals in the process.  In his last three starts, Kendrick has given up only four runs in 19 innings, lowering his 2013 ERA to 3.28. Continue reading Offense Erupts Late, Phils Earn Split With Cards

St. Louis Cardinals (8-6) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (6-9)

Adam Wainwright (2-1, 2.05) vs Cole Hamels (0-2, 7.56)

Time: 7:05, Citizens Bank Park
TV: MLB Network, The Comcast Network (Home of Phillies Nation TV)
Weather: Cloudy, 60
Media: Twitter and Facebook

John Lannan will miss roughly 6 weeks with a quad strain in his left leg, just above his knee. I spoke with Lannan around 3:30 pm, and he thought that he’d be back much sooner. But the word from Charlie Manuel is that the lefty will be out an extended period.

The Phillies will make a corresponding move to bring a reliever up, then make a move Monday for a starter from Lehigh Valley. They’ll select from Jonathan Pettibone, Ethan Martin, or Tyler Cloyd, Ruben Amaro said today. He also mentioned Adam Morgan, but he’s least likely to be selected as he tossed 100 pitches today.

Domonic Brown is OK; he had a x-rays on his back, which came back negative. Saw him out in the field shagging flies, and he looked fine.

Continue reading Gameday: Cardinals (8-6) vs Phillies (6-9)

The Phillies announced John Lannan was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained quadriceps tendon in his left knee. Lannan attributed his knee troubles to tendonitis to reporters after last night’s game.

There has been no corresponding move made yet but Adam Morgan is making quite the impression in Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Morgan has thrown five innings, giving up one earned in today’s start and now has an ERA of 1.42 in three starts.

Analysis: Will Morgan be called up to replace Lannan? Tough to say but probably not. Morgan was pulled today after five effective , but long (100 pitches) innings, not because of any news related to Lannan. He is not on the 40-man roster while each of the other IronPigs starters (Tyler Cloyd, Jonathan Pettibone, B.J. Rosenberg, and Ethan Martin) are. Morgan has outperformed all four pitchers and is among the best in the International League right now but Morgan did pitch today and Lannan’s next turn is Monday, which means Morgan would go on slightly short rest if he gets the call.

When I scouted him on April 6, Morgan used a fastball, change-up, and a slider to challenge hitters and induce weak contact. Morgan has Major League stuff, no doubt about it. The only flaw I found was his out pitch (slider) always came on 0-2 or 1-2 from 1-1. He varied his pitches early but looked to the slider away against righties every time the count when in his favor.