Right-handed reliever Michael Schwimer is set to join the Phillies on Wednesday. The 14th round selection out of the 2008 amateur draft, has been called up by the big club to fill the void left when Placido Polanco was placed on the disabled list on Tuesday with a sports hernia.
Through 46 games with the Triple A Lehigh Valley IronPigs this season, the University of Virginia graduate posted a 9-1 record with 10 saves and a 1.88 ERA while 86 striking out in 67 innings pitched.
Schwimer, a 6-foot-8-inch 250-pounder, has been ready for the step upward for a lengthy stretch. An All-star this season, Schwimer has out-shined many of his IronPigs teammates, only to see those players get called up time and time again. Now, Schwimer's chance has finally arrived and, if you ask the man himself, he's been ready for this opportunity for quite a while.
In a recent exclusive interview, Schwimer spoke of his hopes of earning a spot with the big club.
"I absolutely feel like I'm ready," Schwimer stated. "I feel like I've been ready for a while, but...it doesn't matter how I feel. It matters how the scouts feel and the talent evaluators feel and our GM feels. So, I hope they feel that way and I'm just gonna keep pitching to the best of my ability and hopefully that day comes soon."
Schwimer possesses a repertoire that includes a fastball, a plus slider and a solid change up. His fastball has ranged from 92-94 MPH in recent outings.
After being ranked at number 18 in the PhoulBallz.com/PhilliesNation off-season prospect rankings, Schwimer allowed 4 earned runs in 5 innings (7.20 ERA) in 4 games with the Phillies in Grapefruit League action this past spring.
As a new addition to the Phils' bullpen, expect to see Schwimer go hard at opponents when he gets the chance. He's a focused individual that is clearly gifted on the physical side. Combine that with his commanding "my time is now" attitude, and the team could be adding the next homegrown stud to their 'pen, joining the likes of Antonio Bastardo and Mike Stutes.
Additional updates...
The short season NY-Penn League held its annual All-star Game on Tuesday evening in Lowell, Mass. The Phillies' club, the Williamsport Crosscutters, was represented well, as their entire starting outfield, Kyrell Hudson, Aaron Altherr and Kelly Dugan, made the National League club. Righty hurler Mike Nesseth and Dominican reliever Gabriel Arias also made the team.
Hudson, a 3rd round pick in 2009, went 1-for-2, with a single. Altherr, a 9th rounder in 2009, went 0-for-1, while Dugan, a 2nd rounder in 2009, did not play.
Nesseth, a 17th round draft choice last year, allowed 2 earned runs in 1 inning, while striking out 1. The right-handed Arias, a free agent acquisition back in 2007, tossed 2/3 scoreless inning.
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