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Phillies Acquire Corey Oswalt From Giants

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The Phillies have acquired right-hander Corey Oswalt in a trade with the Giants, as noted by Oswalt’s MLB.com profile page on May 8 (hat tip to The Morning Call’s Tom Housenick).  Oswalt has been assigned to the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley.

San Francisco inked Oswalt to a minor league deal back in January, after the righty opted for free agency when the Mets outrighted him off their 40-man roster following the season.  Though he has a respectable 28.3% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate with Triple-A Sacramento this season, Oswalt has an ungainly 7.11 thanks in large part to six home runs over 12 2/3 innings.

This work with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate represents Oswalt’s first pro action outside of the Mets organization.  A seventh-round pick for New York back in 2012, Oswalt has appeared in each of the last four Major League seasons, though only 30 of his 94 2/3 career innings have come since the end of the 2018 campaign.  He has a 5.89 ERA as a big leaguer, with a 17.2K% and 7.3BB%, getting work as a starter and (more recently) as a multi-inning reliever or swingman.

The Phillies got a good look at Oswalt during his time with the Mets, and now they’ll see what he can do as an extra arm on the depth chart.  Considering that both Zack Wheeler and Zach Eflin are both on the COVID-related injury list, the Phils might turn to Oswalt for a spot start (or maybe in a piggyback or bulk pitcher role) as they try to figure out their rotation mix for the near future.

Phillies Place Zach Eflin, Zack Wheeler On Covid List

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10:00am: Phillies manager Joe Girardi has told reporters, including Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, that Zack Wheeler is also going on the Covid list. The club will now be doubly challenged to get through their next stretch of games with their rotation down two key members. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com adds that Connor Brogdon will be taking Wheeler’s spot on the roster.

9:00 am: The Phillies have announced that right-hander Zach Eflin has been placed on the Covid-related injured list. Fellow righty Francisco Morales has been recalled to take his place on the roster. Additionally, with the club playing a doubleheader today, left-hander Cristopher Sanchez will be up with the club as the team’s 27th man.

Players can be placed on the Covid list if they test positive, are exhibiting symptoms or due to contact tracing measures. The club hasn’t provided further information about which of these applies to Eflin. Under the league’s 2022 health-and-safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club, though it’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests, and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician). Players who are experiencing symptoms but do not test positive can return in shorter order if their symptoms abate.

The Phillies were rained out both yesterday and Friday, meaning their pitching staff should be fairly rested, but also that they are playing a doubleheader today. They will then be traveling out west to play three games against the Mariners and four against the Dodgers, before their next off-day on May 16th. As long as Eflin is out of action, the rotation will be down to the foursome of Aaron Nola, Kyle Gibson, Ranger Suarez and Zack Wheeler. Sanchez and Morales both have started in the minors but have been working out of their bullpen so far this year.

Gibson should be able to handle one game today, as he last started April 30. Eflin would have been in line to start the other game but will need to be replaced. Suarez last pitched on May 3, meaning he could theoretically slot in and take another game on regular rest, although the club hasn’t yet another their plans for today. In that scenario, both Gibson and Suarez would be lined up to pitch again on regular rest on Friday. Wheeler and Nola can then take the ball on Monday and Tuesday, but then the club would need a plan for both Wednesday and Thursday. Another option would be to have a bullpen day in the second game of the doubleheader today, saving Suarez for Monday and bumping Wheeler and Nola down the line. Regardless of how it plays out, the club will need to strategically maneuver through the week, unless Eflin is able to return quickly.

Phillies Place Didi Gregorius On 10-Day IL, Promote Bryson Stott

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The Phillies announced that shortstop Didi Gregorius has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 5.  Gregorius is dealing with a left knee sprain.  He’ll be replaced on the active roster by Bryson Stott, who has been called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

While Gregorius’ .288/.338/.356 slash line over 65 plate appearances isn’t anything overwhelming, it does count as above-average production (102 wRC+, 105 OPS+) within an offensively-challenged 2022 season.  At the very least, it does represent a step up from Gregorius’ disappointing numbers over his first season in Philadelphia, and that lack of performance left Gregorius’ starting status very much in question heading into this year.

Stott even broke camp with the Phillies out of Spring Training, a sign that the club was ready and willing to let the former first-rounder usurp Gregorius’ starting shortstop job entirely.  However, Stott hit only .133/.161/.167 over his first 31 PA in the majors, and he was sent back to Triple-A for some more seasoning.

The top prospect seems to have gotten on track in the minors, as Stott has a .986 OPS over his 40 PA at the Triple-A level.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that Stott will just slide right into regular duty with Gregorius out, as utilityman Johan Camargo is on hand for at least a timeshare and perhaps even the bulk of starting assignments at shortstop.

NL East Notes: Bassitt, Harper, Marlins, Meyer, Ramirez

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Both Chris Bassitt and Mets GM Billy Eppler declined to comment on whether any contract extension talks had taken place between the two sides, though a source tells The New York Post’s Joel Sherman that “nothing has been explored yet.”  Since Bassitt is slated to become a free agent after the season, it would be a little surprising to see him sign an extension before testing the market for the first time, particularly since the righty is building a strong case for a pricey multi-year contract this winter.  Over his first 31 innings in a Mets uniform, Bassitt has a 2.61 ERA, 28.1% strikeout rate, and 6.6% walk rate.

Locking up Bassitt would help the Mets solidify their 2023 rotation, as Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, and Taijuan Walker could all be free agents this winter.  An extension would also allow Bassitt and the team to avoid the shorter-term problem of an arbitration hearing set for May 23.  While this could be the 33-year-old Bassitt’s best (or only) chance to sign a big multi-year deal, he might prefer to just stay in New York if the Mets were to offer him such a deal right now, and the Mets have certainly shown they’re willing to spend for premium talent.  For his part, Bassitt said that he has enjoyed pitching for the Mets and that he’d be open to extension talks.

More from around the NL East…

  • Bryce Harper has been bothered by a mild right elbow strain for several weeks now, though MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki tweets that “nothing really has changed” following Harper’s latest visit with a team doctor.  It isn’t known when Harper will try throwing again, so the reigning NL MVP will continue to serve as the Phillies’ designated hitter.  Harper hasn’t played right field since April 16, but has still been productive (.288/.307/.542 with three home runs) over 62 plate appearances as a DH-only player.
  • Elieser Hernandez allowed five earned runs in four innings against the Diamondbacks today, boosting the struggling Marlins right-hander’s ERA to 6.66 over 24 1/3 innings this season.  This outing won’t end speculation about whether the Marlins could promote top prospect Max Meyer to replace Hernandez in the rotation, and Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of The Miami Herald write that the Fish are likelier to use Meyer as a starter than as a reliever whenever Meyer gets the call for his MLB debut.  “The organization still is a big believer in Hernandez,” according to Jackson/Mish, but that doesn’t mean the Marlins couldn’t opt to move Hernandez to the pen to accommodate Meyer.  A trade also can’t be ruled out, since Hernandez has drawn interest from other teams in the past.  For now, Meyer could be Miami’s top choice for an immediate rotation fill-in, since Braxton Garrett, Edward Cabrera, and Sixto Sanchez are all rehabbing injuries.
  • Also from Jackson and Mish, the Marlins were among the teams who talked with the Guardians about a possible Jose Ramirez trade prior to Ramirez’s new contract extension.  “No serious discussions took place” between Cleveland and Miami, and it was known that the Guards were asking for a huge return in any deal.  The Marlins’ young pitching depth arguably made them one of the teams that could have realistically met the Guardians’ big asking price, though it’s all a moot point now that Ramirez has been extended.

NL Notes: Eflin, Lauer, DeJong

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Due to the lockout putting MLB business on ice for over three months, there are many players who don’t yet have a finalized salary for the 2022 campaign. Any arbitration-eligible players that couldn’t come to an agreement with their team will soon participate in a hearing as the season is in progress. The Phillies have one such player, right-hander Zach Eflin, who is hoping for a $6.9MM figure while the club will be arguing for the lower figure of $5.15MM. (MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected $6MM, a number pretty close to the midpoint between the two parties.)

Eflin recently spoke about the situation to Matt Gelb of the Athletic. “I know what I bring to this club every fifth day,” Eflin said. “And I see my true value more than what their offer was. So that’s really all I have to say. I’m curious to see what they have to say in a courtroom. So, it’ll be interesting, but I’m looking forward to it.”

If the pitcher is particularly motivated for this fight, it’s possible that he’s still holding a grudge from an incident in 2019. The Phillies optioned Eflin, despite the fact that he was pitching well, in order to get an extra bench player on the roster. They had a double-header coming up that week, which lined up with Eflin’s upcoming start. Since teams are allowed to bring up an extra player for double-headers, they were able to option Eflin, call him up as the extra man for the double-header and then call him up for real for the start after that. Because of these roster shenanigans, Eflin ended up missing out on nine days of MLB salary, costing him about $20K. (According to this Gelb piece from the time of the incident.) “Players don’t forget that,” Eflin said in today’s article. “I’m looking forward to the hearing and seeing what they have to say about me. I feel like I’m going to learn a lot about the business side of the game.” The 28-year-old is heading into free agency at the end of this season.

Some other notes from the Senior Circuit…

  • After a disappointing 2020 season, Eric Lauer began 2021 at the Brewers’ alternate training site. “I wasn’t super happy about it,” Lauer told Will Sammon of The Athletic. However, the lefty used the opportunity to do some experimenting, taking some time in a bullpen session to mimic the mechanics of other pitchers, such as Aroldis Chapman and Tim Lincecum. To his surprise and delight, his velocity starting ticking up. That extra gas helped propel Lauer to an excellent bounceback campaign, as he ended up throwing 118 2/3 innings of 3.19 ERA ball last year, with a 23.9% strikeout rate and 8.4% walk rate. The results are even better in Lauer’s four starts so far this year. Small sample caveats apply, but he has a 1.93 ERA with an incredible 36.6% strikeout rate and 5.4% walk rate. Brewers fans, or any baseball fan interested in the art of pitching, will want to check out the full piece for more details on Lauer’s tremendous turnaround.
  • Cardinals’ infield prospect Nolan Gorman is off to a tremendous start to his season. The 21-year-old (22 next week) already has 11 home runs through 20 Triple-A games and is hitting .321/.372/.769 overall. That has led to a chorus of voices among fans in St. Louis for him to be called up, especially with a few of the big leaguers struggling. Shortstop Paul DeJong has been under the spotlight for his shortcomings at the plate for a few years now. His overall offensive production has declined in each season of his career, according to wRC+. After a 123 in his rookie year in 2017, he’s put up a 103, 101, 87, 86 and a 55 in 2022 so far. Prior to the 2018 campaign, the club signed DeJong to an extension that runs through 2023. Despite that, he doesn’t have unlimited rope with the organization. “We’re still trying to figure out what we have here with (DeJong), so we’re trying to give him every opportunity possible,” president of baseball operations John Mozeliak tells Katie Woo of The Athletic. “If things don’t change trajectory or direction, then ultimately we’re probably going to have to do something different. Nolan would get more of a maj0r-league opportunity at that point. I think we have to remind ourselves that we’re a month into the season; we’ve had an odd first couple of weeks with weather and obviously a truncated spring training. You’re seeing a lot of offensive stats down in general in this league, so we want to remain patient.” The plan to merely switch Gorman in for DeJong is complicated, however, by the fact that the Cardinals are an organization that values defense so highly. As noted in the piece, Gorman only recently switched from being a primary third baseman to playing second base, as he’s blocked at third by Nolan Arenado. Bringing Gorman up to man the keystone would involve sliding Tommy Edman over to shortstop, a position where he only has 17 games of MLB experience. For the time being, it seems Cardinals’ fans yearning for Gorman’s promotion will have to keep waiting.

MLB Suspends Mets’ Yoan Lopez For Three Games

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Major League Baseball announced this evening that Mets reliever Yoan López has been suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount for “intentionally throwing pitches at Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies during the top of the ninth inning of Sunday night’s game at Citi Field.” As is typical practice, New York manager Buck Showalter received a one-game suspension for López’s actions.

The Mets optioned López to Triple-A Syracuse today. His suspension will take effect whenever he’s recalled, although he has the right to appeal. Showalter does not have an appellate right, and he’ll miss tonight’s game against the Braves as a result. Bench coach Glenn Sherlock will be the acting manager for tonight’s game, tweets Jon Morosi of MLB.com.

López’s first pitch to Schwarber was a fastball that missed down and in. His second offering was in virtually the same spot. López then threw three straight pitches in the strike zone, and Schwarber eventually grounded out. No one was ejected, although home plate umpire Jerry Meals did issue warnings. Earlier in the game, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor had been plunked by Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez. López later hit Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm.

It’s the second time in as many weeks López has been at the center of controversy. He threw a pitch up-and-in to Cardinals star Nolan Arenado during a game on Wednesday. Arenado started yelling back, and the benches cleared. Arenado and St. Louis reliever Genésis Cabrera wound up serving one-game suspensions for their roles in that incident; López was fined but not suspended.

Several Veterans On Minor League Deals Have Sunday Opt-Outs

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The latest collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association is rife with contractual intricacies, as one would expect. MLBTR has confirmed that one of the new wrinkles set forth in this latest agreement stipulates that any Article XX(B) free agent — that is, a player with at least six years of service time who finished the prior season on a big league roster or injured list — who signs a minor league contract will have three uniform opt-out dates in his contract, so long as that minor league deal is signed 10 days prior to Opening Day. Those opt-out dates are five days before the start of the regular season, May 1 and June 1.

As the MLBPA announced at the onset of the most recent offseason, there were 188 players who became Article XX(B) free agents. The majority of those players signed Major League contracts. A handful retired, and some have yet to sign a contract at all. There were still more than two dozen players who signed minor league contracts, however, which makes them subject to the new uniform opt-out dates. Several of those players — Marwin Gonzalez, Matt Moore and Wily Peralta, to name a few — have already had their contracts selected to the Major League roster. Others signed their minor league deal after March 28, meaning they’re not covered under the uniform opt-out provision.

By my count, there are a dozen players who qualified as Article XX(B) free agents, signed minor league deals on or before March 28, and remain with those organizations but not on the 40-man roster. Each of the following veterans, then, will have the opportunity to become a free agent Sunday if they’re not called up to the current organization’s big league roster:

  • Tyler Clippard, RHP, Nationals: The 37-year-old Clippard had a strong 2019 season in Cleveland and pitched brilliantly with Minnesota in 2020. His 2021 campaign with the D-backs was solid but truncated by a strained capsule in his right shoulder. He missed nearly four months to begin the year but pitched to a 3.20 ERA in 25 1/3 innings upon activation — albeit with subpar strikeout and walk rates (19.8% and 9.9%, respectively). He’s had a rough go in Triple-A Rochester so far, yielding seven runs on six hits and a whopping 11 walks in 8 1/3 innings. He’s also picked up a dozen strikeouts.
  • Austin Romine, C, Angels: Romine is 2-for-15 with a pair of singles so far in Triple-A Salt Lake. He’s never provided much with the bat, but the longtime Yankees backup is regarded as a quality defender and receiver. He spent the 2021 season with the Cubs but only logged 62 plate appearances thanks to a sprained left wrist that landed him on the 60-day injured list for a significant portion of the season. Romine hit .217/.242/.300 when healthy last year and is a lifetime .238/.277/.358 hitter in 1313 Major League plate appearances.
  • Billy Hamilton, CF, Mariners: At 31 years old, the former top prospect is what he is now: an elite defender and baserunner who’s never been able to get on base consistently enough to capitalize on his 80-grade speed. Hamilton slashed .220/.242/.378 in 135 plate appearances with the White Sox last season and is out to a 7-for-32 start with one walk and 11 strikeouts so far with the Mariners’ top affiliate. Hamilton has four seasons of 55-plus stolen bases under his belt, but he also has a career .293 OBP  that’s gotten even worse (.269) over the past three seasons (524 plaste appearances).
  • Blake Parker, RHP, Cardinals: Parker, 36, has yielded three runs in 7 1/3 Triple-A frames but is brandishing a far more impressive 11-to-1 K/BB ratio. He split the past two seasons between Philadelphia and Cleveland, pitching to a combined 3.02 ERA with a 24.4% strikeout rate against a 9.1% walk rate. Parker has had an up-and-down career since debuting with the Cubs as a 27-year-old rookie in 2012, but the cumulative results are solid. He carries a career 3.47 ERA with 34 saves and 47 holds. When Parker’s splitter is working well, he can be a very effective late-inning option.
  • Derek Holland, LHP, Red Sox: The veteran southpaw has provided innings, but not necessarily at quality since transitioning into a bullpen role in 2019. Last season he appeared in 39 games for the Tigers, tossing 49 2/3 innings with a 5.07 ERA/3.96 FIP. Holland’s time with Triple-A Worcester hasn’t been smooth, as he has a 5.79 ERA and six walks over 9 1/3 innings.
  • Steven Souza Jr., OF, Mariners: Due to an ugly knee injury and some struggles at the plate, Souza hasn’t been a truly productive big leaguer since 2017. Looking to revive his career with the Mariners, Souza has hit .200/.383/.333 over 60 PA with Triple-A Tacoma.
  • Kevin Pillar, OF, Dodgers: This season marks Pillar’s first taste of Triple-A ball since 2014, and the veteran outfielder is overmatching pitchers to the tune of a .313/.415/.627 slash line over 82 plate appearances. One would imagine this performance will earn Pillar a look in Los Angeles or perhaps another team if the Dodgers don’t select his contract. Pillar’s minor league deal guarantees him a $2.5MM salary if he receives a big league call-up, which could be a factor for a Dodgers club that may be trying to stay under the third tier ($270MM) of the luxury tax threshold.
  • Cam Bedrosian, RHP, Phillies: After signing a minor league deal with Philadelphia last July, Bedrosian posted a 4.35 ERA over 10 1/3 innings with the club despite recording almost as many walks (seven) as strikeouts (eight). The righty inked a new minors deal with the Phillies over the winter but has yet to pitch this season due to injury.
  • Shelby Miller, RHP, Yankees: The former All-Star pitched well with the Cubs’ and Pirates’ Triple-A affiliates in 2021, and he has kept up that strong Triple-A performance now working as a full-time reliever.  Over eight innings for Scranton/Wilkes-Barres, Miller has a 2.25 ERA with outstanding strikeout (31.3%) and walk (3.1%) rates. He also hasn’t allowed any homers, a notable stat for a pitcher who has had great trouble containing the long ball over the last few seasons.
  • Matt Carpenter, INF, Rangers: Carpenter got a late start to Spring Training, and upon Opening Day, he expressed a desire to take the necessary time to get himself up to speed. Through 52 plate appearances in Triple-A, Carpenter has slashed an improved .239/.327/.457 with a pair of home runs. While not standout numbers, they are an improvement over the .203/.235/.346 slash line Carpenter posted in 901 PA from 2019-21 with the Cardinals.
  • Carlos Martinez, RHP, Giants: Another former Cardinal looking for a fresh start, Martinez has yet to pitch for Triple-A Sacramento, as he is still rehabbing from the thumb surgery he underwent last July. With injuries and a nasty bout of COVID-19 factoring into matters, Martinez has only a 6.95 ERA over 102 1/3 big league innings since the start of the 2020 season.
  • Keone Kela, RHP, Diamondbacks: Kela has also been ravaged by injuries over the last two seasons, including Tommy John surgery last May. Given the usual TJ recovery timeline, Kela isn’t likely to be a factor for the D’Backs until at least midseason.

Of course, players remain free to negotiate additional out clauses into their minor league contracts. Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports, for instance, that lefty Adam Morgan has an opt-out provision in his contract with the Astros today. Morgan doesn’t have enough service time to qualify as an Article XX(B) free agent, but he’ll nevertheless have the opportunity to become a free agent Sunday if he doesn’t like his chances of eventually being added to Houston’s roster.

Ronald Torreyes Granted Release By Phillies

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Veteran infielder Ronald Torreyes has requested and been granted his release by the Phillies, tweets Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Torreyes had been with the Phils on a minor league pact but is now a free agent who is free to explore opportunities with other clubs.

Torreyes, 29, has gotten out to a slow start in Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, hitting just .171/.237/.200 while seeing time at second base, shortstop and third base. The Phillies’ recent move to option top prospect Bryson Stott to Lehigh Valley surely stood to impact the playing time available to Torreyes — which may have been a contributing factor in his decision to request his release.

Last season, Torreyes appeared in 111 games with the Phils and took 344 turns at the plate, posting a .242/.286/.346 slash that rated well below the league average (32% worse, by measure of wRC+). He provided some value with the glove, appearing at third base, shortstop, second base and center field — with particularly strong marks for his defensive work at the hot corner (2 Defensive Runs Saved, 2.9 Ultimate Zone Rating, 4 Outs Above Average in 354 innings).

Torreyes is a favorite of Phillies skipper Joe Girardi, dating back to the pair’s time together with the Yankees, but it seems there’s no opportunity for him at the MLB level presently. As such, he’ll head into free agency in search of a new opportunity — ideally with a club that is thin in terms of its infield options at the moment. In 983 plate appearances in the Majors, Torreyes is a .265/.299/.361 hitter who has fanned at just a 12.6% clip.

Phillies Select Roman Quinn, Option Bryson Stott

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The Phillies announced this evening they’ve selected outfielder Roman Quinn onto the big league club. Infielder Bryson Stott was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to open active roster space. In order to clear a 40-man roster spot, left-hander Ryan Sherriff was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Quinn returns to the Phils’ active roster for a sixth season. A former second-round pick, he was among the better prospects in the Philadelphia farm system for some time. His athleticism, speed and solid minor league production made him a potential regular center fielder, but the switch-hitting outfielder hasn’t managed to cement himself as an everyday player. That’s in large part due to injury, as Quinn missed notable time every season between 2013-19 and again in 2021. His latest malady was a ruptured left Achilles tendon that ended his 2021 season in May.

Primarily because of his health history, Quinn has just 512 MLB plate appearances under his belt despite pushing 29 years old and having first reached the majors six years ago. He’s a .228/.306/.355 hitter in that time, but he’s stolen 39 bases and garnered solid defensive ratings. He’ll offer the Phils some extra cover in center field, where Matt Vierling has gotten out to a poor start. The Phils recently activated Odúbel Herrera from the injured list, and he’ll probably get the lion’s share of playing time in center. Herrera is coming off a fine but unspectacular .260/.310/.416 showing and spent the first few weeks of the season on the shelf because of an oblique strain.

The Phils outrighted Quinn off the 40-man roster at the end of last season. He qualified for minor league free agency, then inked a non-roster pact with the division-rival Marlins. After failing to crack the Opening Day roster in Miami, he triggered an opt-out clause and went back to the open market. Quinn returned to Philadelphia on a minor league deal a few weeks ago, and he quickly made it back to the big leagues after reaching base in 13 of his 25 plate appearances in Triple-A. Quinn is out of minor league options, so now that he’s back in the majors, the Phils have to either keep him on the active roster or designate him for assignment.

Stott, one of the Phils’ top prospects, broke camp with the club and was the Opening Day third baseman. The 24-year-old appeared in nine games during his first major league run but started his MLB career just 4-30 with a walk and ten strikeouts. Stott’s chase rate on pitches outside the strike zone was a bit elevated, and he hasn’t gotten the start in any of the team’s last six games.

Alec Bohm has gotten off to a strong start at the plate and has been playing third base, while the Phils have turned to switch-hitting utilityman Johan Camargo (himself on a nice run to open the year) at shortstop over the last week. Didi Gregorius hasn’t played since Tuesday because of a bruised left hand, but the team hasn’t placed him on the injured list and figures to work him in at shortstop frequently once he’s again ready to go.

With the more experienced infield options outplaying Stott early on, the Phils elected him to send him back to the minors for regular reps. The former first-round pick only played in ten games with Lehigh Valley late last season, as he spent the bulk of the year with Double-A Reading. Stott posted an impressive .301/.368/.481 line there, but he’ll now get a bit more run at the minors’ top level. The Phillies figure to bring Stott back to the majors before too long if he replicates his Double-A production for the IronPigs.

Sherriff, claimed off waivers from the Rays last offseason, opened the season on the injured list due to a shoulder strain. There’s no timetable for his return, but he won’t be back until at least the first week of June. He’s out for sixty-plus days from Opening Day, meaning he can’t return until June 6 at the earliest.

Phillies Notes: Harper, Bohm

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An MRI on Bryce Harper’s injured right elbow came back clean, but it will still be a few days before he can take the field again, per The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. In fact, if it weren’t for the designated hitter now being a part of the National League, Harper would have been placed on the injured list, Gelb notes. He will stay on the roster and in the lineup as the designateted hitter.

With Harper at least temporarily entrenched as the DH, the Phillies’ defense will take a hit with Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos in the outfield corners and Rhys Hoskins at first base. All three players would probably DH in a best-case scenario.

Harper’s injury, though hopefully short-term, highlights a larger roster issue for the Phillies. The outfield trio of Harper, Schwarber, and Castellanos aren’t going anywhere, but the Phillies could look to shake up the roster down the line by moving Hoskins or Alec Bohm. The younger Bohm has struggled defensively at the hot corner, and they could move him to first if they decide to move on from Hoskins, who has one more season of arbitration before free agency.

The club has also considered trading Bohm, however, notes The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. In just 12 games this season, Bohm’s value has already experienced wild swings in both directions. A three-error game at third saw him pushed to the bench for a few games, but in the last couple of days, Bohm’s bat has taken off. Such variance for a young player like Bohm is exactly why finding a trade partner is such a difficult task.

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