Skip to main content

Phillies Minor Updates, 5/20/11

Here are a few exclusive insider updates on some players in the Philadelphia developmental system.


-The Double A Reading Phillies have made a move with their pitching staff, moving 26-year-old Canadian Chris Kissock into the bullpen this week, after he surrendered 6 earned runs in 3 innings in his last start. Kissock had posted a 1-4 record and a 6.81 ERA in 7 starts this season. Filling the void in the team's rotation will be 25-year-old BJ Rosenberg, who previously helped solidify a strong bullpen for the R-Phils. Rosenberg, had never started as a professional, but Reading manager Mark Parent expressed some confidence in the decision to switch the two righty hurlers' roles.

"Well, we want to get Kissock back in a role that is comfortable and that he was real successful in. BJ will be able to throw more innings and continue to improve his secondary stuff, which is improving all the time," Parent said on Friday.

In his first start on Friday night, Rosenberg, who was selected by the Phillies in the 13th round of the 2008 draft, allowed 3 hits and 1 earned run over 4 innings while walking 1, striking out 5. Rosenberg did not record a decision.

Under normal circumstances Mike Cisco would have taken the vacancy, but the right-hander was placed on the disabled list on Friday with an elbow strain in his throwing arm.


-Travis "Moose" Mattair has been on the disabled list since early this month with a strained oblique. Mattair is progressing well but still has some time before returning to the active roster for the High A Level Clearwater Threshers.

Mattair offered some comments on his recovery: "Rehab has been going really well lately. I'm improving every day. The training staff has me progressing at the perfect rate."

The 2nd round pick in the 2007 amateur draft has been throwing pain-free and expects to take ground balls and some swings on Saturday. Mattair's time frame for a return to action is likely by the time the Threshers begin their next home stand on May 31st. Mattair says he will play in 3-4 extended spring training games prior to re-joining the active Threshers roster.


-Right-handed reliever Mike McGuire will see his first extended spring training game action on Saturday. McGuire, who pitched with Class A Lakewood last season had vascular surgery in the off-season after discovering a serious blood clot in his non-pitching arm while performing a routine workout at his local gym.

The surgery required the removal of McGuire's first rib to clear room in the problem area for circulation.

The 24-year-old McGuire describes his recovery as positive and says his shoulder has been feeling good.

McGuire, a Swarthmore, PA native who grew up as a Phillies fan, stands 6-feet-7-inches tall and weighs about 240 pounds.

__________________________________________

You can follow PhoulBallz on Twitter by clicking HERE.

You can also connect with PhoulBallz on Facebook by clicking HERE.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Rappers in Phillies Caps

Weekend greetings to you phine pholks out there. Today's post features pictures of rappers wearing Phillies caps. Why rappers in Phillies caps, you ask? Because... Any other questions? We will start things off properly by going with a highly recognizable hip hop star. 50 Cent stays constantly relavant by consistantly creating radio friendly material to help sell (G) units, while he "keeps it real" by still rapping about the thug life he lived before becoming the 2nd highest earning black entertainer in America. 50 is seen here in a recent interview rocking a throw-back Phillies cap. Next up we'll use a throw-back screen cap from what may be the very first major appearance by a rapper wearing Phillies gear. Chuck D, of legendary rap group Public Enemy, wore a Phillies cap in the music video for rap anthem Fight The Power in 1989. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing . Next up we'll go with some home grown tal...

Drabek Preparing For Next Step

The transition has been easy for Kyle Drabek. In December, he was part of a package of young prospects that was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for ace pitcher Roy Halladay. Now, as though nothing has changed, he's right back where he was last season...the star prospect on the pitching staff of a team in the Double A Eastern League. Drabek has often stated that he wanted to stay in the Philadelphia organization, who drafted him in the first round of the 2006 amateur draft. The 22-year-old thought after the midseason trade rumors, that surrounded him possibly going to Toronto last year, passed with no action that all the turmoil was over and that he could simply relax and focus on getting to the big leagues with the Phillies. That wasn't the case, as the deal eventually came to fruition over the off-season. In the Blue Jays system this season, Drabek doesn't have to worry about being dealt. He only has to concern himself with opposing batters and working on his secondary pit...

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

TRENTON, NJ- Brad Lidge made his second rehab appearance for the Double A Reading Phillies on Thursday night and it didn't go as well as the veteran reliever or the team had hoped. Lidge struggled with his command and turned in a rather poor outing for the club that entered the night in a playoff race, 1 game behind division rival Trenton for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Division. On the disabled list since spring training with a strained right rotator cuff, Lidge experienced an elbow strain when he was working back from that issue in late May. In his outing against the Yankees affiliate in Trenton, Lidge displayed difficulty with his control as he threw three wild pitches, hit two batters, walked another and gave up a single, all while letting up two earned runs on 28 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. After the disappointing performance, Lidge was composed and focused on some positive aspects, having reached 89 and 90 MPH on scouts' radar guns, according to some reports. ...