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On the 63rd edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast Tug and Jay are joined by former Phillies prospect and current Reds farmhand Moose Mattair . The guys also chat about the progress of Nefi Ogando , Maikel Franco and David Buchanan as well as Domonic Brown 's regression. Also, injury updates on Zach Green , Kelly Dugan and more. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

Phillies ace Cole Hamels started his career in Lakewood Cole Hamels has achieved a lot as a professional pitcher, but, as many realize, his accomplished career began in the minor leagues.  To honor his time in the developmental ranks, the 30-year-old lefty hurler will have his jersey number 19 retired by the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws prior to the team's game on Monday, June 9th. Hamels, who was the Phillies' top draft choice in 2002 (17th overall), made his pro debut with the BlueClaws in 2003.  As a 19-year-old in the South Atlantic League, Hamels tallied a 6-1 record with a 0.84 ERA in 13 starts before earning a promotion to Class A Advanced Clearwater. "Cole is the greatest pitcher that has come through Lakewood and certainly worthy of having his #19 retired by the BlueClaws," said team general manager Chris Tafrow. "His level of dominance as a BlueClaw speaks for itself, and we have been thrilled to see him carry his professional success that star

The latest semi-weekly rundown of your top performers from the Phillies developmental ranks and those that need to turn some things around includes a few injury notes on some key prospects. Read ahead on the latest from the minors. Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs (25-24 record, 4th place in the International League North division)- Who's hot... Third baseman/first baseman Maikel Franco has tallied a .301/.389/.482 slash line in 21 games this month. The 21-year-old, who is rumored to be a candidate to join the big league roster this week, missed two games over the weekend due to a respiratory illness. Outfielder Steve Susdorf is having quite a month, sporting a .344 average with seven doubles and nine RBI in 22 games. The 28-year-old lefty batter went 1-for-7 in three games with the big league Phillies last season. Who's not... Catcher Cameron Rupp is batting .208 with a home run in seven games since returning from the disabled list following an oblique strai

On the 62nd edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast, Jay chats with righty pitching prospect Perci Garner , who discusses how confidence is key for him, his pitch repertoire, rehabbing with Jamie Moyer and plenty more. Tug and Jay also discuss J.P. Crawford 's hot stretch, Addison Maruszak 's unique double header, Andrew Knapp 's and Roman Quinn 's progress, David Buchanan 's big league debut, Ruben Amaro Jr.'s low rank among GM's and loads more. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

Kenny Giles, Image- Jay Floyd Recently, I spoke with Phillies pitching prospect Kenny Giles for a segment on Phillies Nation TV . Some of what the 23-year-old right-hander chatted with me about didn't make the cut for the show, but I've transcribed that material below. Through 18 combined games with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, Giles has posted a 2-0 record along with eight saves, a 1.29 ERA and a .155 batting average against.  Additionally, the Phils' 7th round pick from 2011 has struck out 33 and walked 10 in 21 innings. Read ahead for some exclusive quotes from Kenny. -I asked Giles which individual stood out among Phillies teammates that he learned the most from during his time with the big club in spring training this year... I can't just pick one guy.  I mean, everybody on that team opened up my eyes and opened my mind to bigger and better things.  Just things I never thought I would think about.  I'd just say everybo

This week I spoke with Lakewood manager Greg Legg and team pitching coach Les Lancaster about a some interesting Class A BlueClaws players. Legg, who is in his 33rd year in the Phillies organization, shared his thoughts about a pair of young positional prospects, catcher Deivi Grullon and third baseman Mitch Walding . Lancaster, who pitched in the majors for seven seasons and is coaching his fourth season in the Phils system, shared thoughts on righty starter Ranfi Casimiro and BlueClaws reliever Ulises Joaquin . -Legg speaking about Grullon, an 18-year-old backstop who was ranked as PhilliesNation.com's #24 prospect heading into the season... "He's as young as they get. I don't know if there's anybody younger in the league than him. He's got a lot of energy back there. He's got a strong arm. He's just a young catcher with some tools. And we're hoping, Les and myself and Lino (Connell), that we can get him experience behind the plate

Andrew Pullin, Image- Jay Floyd For Class A Lakewood BlueClaws second baseman Andrew Pullin a determined grind has helped turn around a season that started out in regrettable fashion. Pullin, the Phillies' 5th round pick from two years ago, began his 2014 campaign with a .205 batting average with a homer and two RBI through his first 21 games.  Since then, the six-foot 180-pounder has tallied a .292 average while mashing three home runs and knocking in 11 runs in 18 contests. Asked to explain the strides that he has taken at the plate, the lefty hitting Pullin offers an admission that he wasn't being selective enough in the early going this season. "I had a slow start. I was chasing a lot of pitches out of the zone.  I've just been working on looking for good pitches to hit," Pullin said shyly. His manager, Greg Legg, credits Pullin's hard work with the turnaround on offense. "He's in the cage with (hitting coach Lino Connell) all the

Out of the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws' lineup for the past five games, top prospect J.P. Crawford is set to return to action on Monday. Crawford, the Phillies' top draft choice last year (16th overall), has been sidelined since injuring the index finger on his left hand during a routine team workout last week. Sporting a bandage beneath his batting glove, Crawford, a shortstop, took pregame batting practice on Sunday and was available for the team's contest against the Rome Braves if he was needed. The 19-year-old lefty batter sports a .328/.421/.481 slash line in 34 games this season with Lakewood. Crawford has been hot of late, tallying a 1.110 OPS in 12 May games. The BlueClaws continue their home stand with two more games against Rome on Monday and Tuesday with first pitch slated for 6:35 PM each night.

While covering the Double-A Reading Fightins over the past week, I collected a ton of feedback from many players and coaches. With so much material in the hopper, here are some quotes that I didn't want readers to miss from 2008's top Phillies draft pick Anthony Hewitt , U Del product and utility infielder Carlos Alonso as well as team manager Dusty Wathan . Anthony Hewitt, Image- Jay Floyd -Hewitt (.139/.149/.181 slash line in 24 games this season) spoke of if there's any mental impact related to his struggles at the plate thus far in 2014... Mental impact? I don't even know. I'm struggling, (but) I'm just going out there every day, grinding, having fun, having a positive attitude, getting my work in on and off the field and, you know, that's all I can do. It's a game of failure. Just, right now, no hits are falling. No luck's turning my way, but I'm sure that tomorrow, today, whenever it's gonna happen, good luck's gonna

On the 61st edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast Tug and Jay are joined by former Phillies hurler Brandon Duckworth , who phoned in to discuss his minor league days, winning multiple Paul Owens Awards, pitching in Japan and plenty more. The guys also chat about Jimmy Rollins ' chase of the all-time Phillies hit record, Severino Gonzalez 's struggles, the progress of Cesar Hernandez and some relief that may be on the way for the big club. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes . 

While the Phillies have struggled out of the bullpen this year, fans and media alike have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of righty reliever Ken Giles to the big leagues. Armed with a fastball that regularly clocks at 100 MPH or higher and a steadily improving slider, the 23-year-old has been a standout performer in the minor leagues this season. Through 13 games with Double-A Reading, the 6-foot-2 205-pounder sported a 1.20 ERA with seven saves while striking out 29 batters and walking five in 15 innings. Since he was promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley last week, Giles has allowed one earned run in three innings while striking out two and walking one. Recently, I spoke with Giles and his manager with Reading Dusty Wathan about his progress and potential for Phillies Nation TV. New episodes of the show air each Tuesday at 6PM on The Comcast Network and replay throughout the week on TCN and Comcast Sportsnet. Check out the media player below to see that video feature on G

Cesar Hernandez, Image- Jay Floyd Recalled by the Phillies on Tuesday, infielder Cesar Hernandez hopes that he has displayed enough improvement at a new position to stick around in the big leagues for the foreseeable future. The switch-hitting Hernandez opened the 2014 season with the Phillies, but was demoted to Double-A Reading in April tasked with developing his defensive repertoire. The Phillies wanted the slick-fielding second baseman to add third base to his skill set. After an extensive amount of work, Hernandez seems ready to handle the entire infield. At the hot corner, the 23-year-old no longer looks new to the position. Hernandez worked extensively to become well-rounded and has been able to show how far he has come. Whether it's coming in hard on a dribbler to gun down a runner, going quickly to his left with a stab-and-spin effort to notch an out or making the routine plays expected of a capable fielder, Hernandez looks ready for the challenge of being a u

Over the weekend, I shot video footage of some Double-A Reading players taking their pregame hacks. Included in the clip in the video player below are outfielders Aaron Altherr and Cameron Perkins , first baseman Chris Serritella and catcher Tommy Joseph . Altherr was the Phillies' 9th round draft pick in 2009.  Through 19 games with Reading this year, the 23-year-old, who opened the season on the disabled list with a wrist injury, is batting .234 with two homers, 10 RBI and a stolen base. Perkins had an outstanding start to his second full pro season.  The 23-year-old was the Phillies' 6th round draft pick in 2012.  In 33 games, Perkins sports a .338 average with two home runs, 18 RBI and four steals. Serritella has a .250 average with two home runs and seven RBI in 22 games.  The 24-year-old was the Phils' 4th round pick in 2012. Joseph, acquired from the Giants in the Hunter Pence trade, sports a .282 average with five home runs and 19 RBI through 21 g

Here's a brief rundown of some top performers and some that aren't doing too well from throughout the Phillies developmental levels, in no particular order. Double-A Reading Fightins- Who's hot... Tommy Joseph, Image- Jay Floyd Catcher Tommy Joseph , who was batting .359 with four home runs and 13 RBI in his last 10 games, left Friday's game with a left wrist issue. The 22-year-old sat out Saturday and wore a brace on the ailing joint. Jose Mayorga , who was with Lakewood last week, was with the Reading team on Saturday, seemingly in case further evaluation on the often injured Joseph results in another trip to the disabled list. Infielder Cesar Hernandez is staying hot at the plate while he adapts to third base in the Eastern League. With two hits in a game that was suspended due to rain on Saturday, the Venezuela native who turns 24-years-old later this month, extended his hitting streak to nine games. He's batting .455 during that stretch. Over

I sat down with Reading Fightins' manager Dusty Wathan this week to chat about some well-known Phillies prospects. The Double-A skipper openly discussed the progress of young pitching prospect Severino Gonzalez and outfielder Cameron Perkins . He also shared details about the status of infielder Cesar Hernandez , who was a late scratch from the team's lineup on Thursday with groin tightness, as well as catcher Tommy Joseph , who has had repeated concussion concerns. Severino Gonzalez, Image- Jay Floyd Talking about the output and progress of 21-year-old righty Severino Gonzalez, who sports a 3-2 record with a 4.02 ERA through seven starts this season- He's done a nice job. He's, obviously, advanced in the system quickly. One of the younger guys in this league. And he's done a nice job. You know, he's learning a lot of stuff. He's here quick. He hasn't advanced through the system kind of the normal way a guy would. He kind of flew thro

Larry Greene Jr., Image- Jay Floyd Following up with more exclusive details on news that was broken here last week , outfield prospect Larry Greene Jr. is expected to miss two months, as he is slated to undergo surgery to repair his injured left wrist. Greene, who initially injured the wrist on a diving play in the outfield, is scheduled go under the knife on Thursday, May 15th. The surgery to repair torn cartilage for the 21-year-old will be conducted by Dr. Randall Culp in King of Prussia, PA. The Phillies' supplementary round draft selection (39th overall) from 2011 was batting .167 with two doubles, one triple and five RBI in 15 games this season. Since turning pro, the once highly touted slugger has tallied a .231/.326/.326 slash line in 196 games.

Art Charles w/ Lakewood in 2013 Despite finding themselves victorious in each of their past two contests, the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers possess the worst record in professional baseball with a 7-22 mark. Thus far this year, the Threshers have struggled to find a groove and string together anything that could help the team build confidence or show any indication that they are a club that could bounce back and rise in the Florida State League standings. Following 10 days without a victory, the Threshers busted out of a winless drought this week, downing the Brevard Country Manatees (Milwaukee affiliate), who had served Clearwater a 20-0 defeat the week prior, for back-to-back wins. Art Charles , the Threshers' first baseman, took time this week to offer his thoughts on the team's struggles and dismal opening month to the 2014 campaign. The six-foot-six 220-pounder, who was acquired from Toronto last year for pitcher Michael Schwimer , spoke about the mental

Larry Greene Jr. works with coach Lino Connell, image- Jay Floyd Sidelined since last week with a left wrist issue, Larry Greene Jr. was originally listed as day-to-day by the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws after he was injured on a diving play in the outfield. Further evaluation has turned up a diagnosis of a cartilage tear for the Phillies' top draft pick (39th overall) from 2011. Greene, who last played on Wednesday, April 23rd, had posted a lackluster .167 average along with two doubles, a triple and five RBI in 15 games for the BlueClaws prior to being injured, this season. The BlueClaws return home from a road trip to Lexington and Asheville next Wednesday. At that time, more examinations will take place for the six-foot 235-pounder. In the meantime, the left fielder Greene will wear a brace on the ailing wrist and remain out of action. In other injury news, righty pitching prospect Nic Hanson spent his 22nd birthday on the operating table a couple weeks back to remo

On the 60th edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast, Tug and Jay talk about prospects galore, including Tyson Gillies , Cameron Perkins and Mookie Betts . The guys also discuss the struggling Clearwater Threshers and their disappointing output. The show also features an exclusive interview with pitcher Mark Leiter Jr., with a sweet vocal cameo from Lakewood standout Willians Astudillo . Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .