Phillies select McKinley Moore, option Yunior Marte

NEW YORK — The Phillies are making some changes to the bullpen amid a rough start to the season.

Right-handed pitcher McKinley Moore had his contract selected. Yunior Marte was optioned to Triple A. To make room for Moore on the 40-man roster, outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz was designated for assignment.

Moore, 24, was acquired from the White Sox in a trade that sent former first round pick Adam Haseley to Chicago. General manager Sam Fuld mentioned his name among others as potential minor league arms who could contribute to the 2023 bullpen. He pitched to a 4.35 ERA across 49 2/3 innings for Double-A Reading last season.

Rob Thomson said Moore could give the Phillies two innings on Tuesday against the Yankees if needed.

The Phillies bullpen is badly in need of a reset. Through four games, the unit’s ERA is a league worst 11.30. Manager Rob Thomson said the bullpen should be relatively well rested for Tuesday’s game. Reliever turned starter Matt Strahm is only expected to be good for around 65 pitches, so the Phillies will need plenty of arms to get through Tuesday’s game.

Marte’s season is off to a disastrous start. He has faced 12 batters and allowed six earned runs. Both of his outings came at a point where the Phillies were down by one or two runs. Both games were out of reach when Marte departed.

Marte’s stuff left an impression on the Phillies during spring training, but he’ll need to spend some time honing in on his execution.

“He’s got dynamite stuff. Fastball with high velocity, heavy sink,” Thomson said. “Slider is really good. If he can run that stuff through the zone, he’s going to have a lot of success.”

Ortiz, 24, hit 17 home runs with Double-A Reading last season. He’ll need to clear waivers to remain in the organization.

The Phillies deciding against transferring Bryce Harper to the 60-day injured list to make room for Moore on the roster signifies that the team still believes the slugger could return before the end of May.

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