Jake Cave forcing hand of Phillies with dominant May at Triple-A?

Jake Cave is red-hot at Triple-A Lehigh Valley right now. (Cheryl Pursell)

Sure, you’ve heard of June Kyle Schwarber. How about May Jake Cave?

Although his start to the season in the majors with the Phillies didn’t go as planned, Cave’s first month with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs has been remarkable. Since his demotion on May 2, the 30-year-old outfielder has been unstoppable in Allentown, riding a hot streak from the left side of the plate that could earn him another chance in the bigs at some point down the line:

In 21 games for the IronPigs, Cave is slashing a staggering .437/.524/.862 with seven home runs, 16 doubles and 22 RBIs. He’s walked 14 times compared to 16 strikeouts. Most recently, Cave was named the International League Player of the Week for his 1.840 OPS and three homers in a six-game series against Buffalo.

Cave has dominated at the plate for Lehigh Valley while primarily playing center field defensively. He’s also spent time in left field and started two games as the designated hitter.

After making the Phillies roster out of spring training, Cave had a disappointing first month of the season. He played 20 games and posted a .619 OPS in his stint in Philadelphia, getting time in Bryce Harper’s absence as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.

When Harper returned to action at the start of the month, Cave was optioned to Triple-A to make room on the team’s active roster. He’s been given a chance to continue to showcase his ability in the minors, and he’s done all he can so far.

In this moment, there’s no clear opening in Philadelphia for Cave with Harper back in the mix. But if the veteran outfielder continues to produce at a level anywhere close to the one he has been, it’s not hard to imagine Cave getting another opportunity.