Phillies call up 2 as rosters expand for September

With rosters expanding from 26 to 28 on Sept. 1, the Philadelphia Phillies called up a pair of players Thursday.

Catcher Donny Sands and RHP Vinny Nittoli have been promoted, the team announced Thursday afternoon. The Phillies already had 13 pitchers on their 26-man roster, and the maximum you are allowed to have with 28 is 14 pitchers, so only one of the two call-ups could be another arm.

Sands, 26, was an eighth-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2015. This will be his first promotion to the majors, after he slashed .309/.413/.428 with five home runs, 34 RBIs, 38 walks and an .841 OPS for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season.

With Sands in the picture, the Phillies now have three catchers on the 28-man roster; J.T. Realmuto as the starter and Garrett Stubbs and Sands as the backups. Sands is a right-handed hitter, so perhaps he’ll become a pinch-hitting option for a team that’s a bit thin on righty bats off the bench. His presence could also free up interim manager Rob Thomson to use Stubbs — who has an .898 OPS in 39 games this season — as a pinch hitter more frequently.

Meanwhile, the Phillies acquired Nittoli in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday. Nittoli made one appearance in the bigs for the Seattle Mariners in 2021, but had a 3.30 ERA and 0.993 WHIP in 32 games at the Triple-A level between the Blue Jays and Yankees organizations this season. He’ll become another relief option for the Phillies.

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Darick Hall has become something of a fan favorite in his rookie season, but he wasn’t yet eligible to be recalled because he was sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Aug. 23. Position players who are optioned have to spend at least 10 days in the minors.

Hall is still eligible to play in the postseason, should the Phillies get there and want him on their 26-man playoff roster. The 26-year-old mashes righty pitching, having posted a .908 OPS in 118 at-bats against right-handed pitching. However, he had just one hit in 11 at-bats against left-handed pitching, with the Phillies clearly not viewing him as much of an option against southpaws.

Given that Bryce Harper has returned and is entrenched at DH — and the same goes for Rhys Hoskins at first base — it’s unclear if Hall is worth carrying at this time. He would be strictly a pinch hitter, and the value of that type of player isn’t as high now that the DH is universal. Thomson said last week that the Phillies could play Hall in left field in a pinch, but didn’t seem to believe he’s someone that would be able to see extended action in the outfield to get his bat in the lineup.

The Phillies still expect to get both Zack Wheeler (forearm tendinitis) and Seranthony Domínguez (triceps tendinitis) at some point this month. Zach Eflin (right patellofemoral pain) hasn’t pitched since June 25, but there appears to be a chance that he returns as a reliever down the stretch.

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