Minor League Notes: A Return and Promotions

Outfielder Tyson Gillies (pictured), who was suspended from the Double A Reading Phillies recently, following an altercation with the team bus driver, is expected to return to action as early as this Friday, August 3rd.  Gillies confirmed exclusively for PhoulBallz.com that he will initially  play for the Gulf Coast League Phillies, prior to a return to the upper levels.

The 23-year-old lefty batter, who was acquired from Seattle in the 2009 Cliff Lee trade, posted a .294 batting average with 2 homers and 16 RBI in 46 games prior to the suspension in what has turned into another injury plagued season. Gillies missed a lengthy stretch with a concussion this year following a pair of seasons when he had been shelved with hamstring and foot problems.

Outfielder Domonic Brown, who spent time with the big league club in each of the past two seasons, finally made his return to the Phillies roster on Tuesday. Following the departures of Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino, the Phils had voids that the 24-year-old will happily attempt to fill.

Brown, a left-handed hitter, had posted a .310 average with 5 home runs and 32 RBI in 65 minor league contests this season. In his first MLB at bat of 2012, Brown laced a pinch single against Nationals reliever Henry Rodriguez on Tuesday.

The Phillies’ 20th round draft choice from 2006, Brown, had a career .236 batting average with 7 HR and 32 RBI in 91 big league games prior to his most recent call up.

In other promotion news, two Double-A Reading All-Stars are on the move upward as well. Headed to Triple-A Lehigh Valley are catcher Sebastian Valle and second baseman Cesar Hernandez.

Through 83 games this season, the 22-year-old Valle batted .261 while mashing 13 homers and driving in 45 runs. Also worthy of note is that Valle did not commit an error with the R-Phils.

The switch-hitting Hernandez, also 22, posted a .304 average with 26 doubles, 11 triples, 2 HR and 51 RBI in 103 games this season in the Eastern League.

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Image- Joe Wombough

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