Minor League Notes: Henson, Franco, Fox, Mecias, Others Heat Up

We're back with another rundown of top performers from the Phillies' developmental ranks, with some less than stellar performers mixed in for good measure.


Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs...

Tyler Henson with coach Mickey Morandini

Infielder Tyler Henson is batting .448 with a home run and eight RBI over his last 10 games played. In 90 games this season, the 26-year-old sports a .282 average with six homers and 36 RBI.

3B/1B Maikel Franco has tallied a .365 batting average with nine doubles, two triples, a homer and 15 RBI in 15 games played this month. Franco went 0-for-2 in last week's All-Star Futures Game. The 21-year-old Dominican has a .236/.286/.370 overall slash line in 96 contests this season.

Tyler Knigge let up 10 earned runs over five innings (18.00 ERA) in his most recent four games with the Pigs. The troublesome stretch earned Knigge a demotion back to Double-A Reading this weekend. The 25-year-old sported a 2.69 ERA in his first 11 Triple-A appearances.

Double-A Reading Fightins...

Outfielder Aaron Altherr is 11-for-30 (.367 avg) with five extra base hits over his last nine games. Altherr, a righty batter, has a .255/.309/.416 slash line in 78 games with Reading. The 23-year-old was the Phillies' 9th round draft choice in 2009.

Corner infielder Jake Fox has hit 10 home runs while batting .333 and driving in 31 runs in 34 games with Reading. The righty hitter, who turned 32 years old on Sunday, played in Mexico prior to signing with the Phillies last month.

Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers...

Right-handed hurler Mark Leiter Jr. pitched a complete game shutout on Sunday, striking out eight and walking none in the process. In four games since joining the Threshers, the 23-year-old has a 2-1 record with a 3.46 ERA. The NJIT product was a 22nd round pick in last year's draft.

In eight games since his promotion to Clearwater, lefty reliever Cody Forsythe has posted a 1-0 record along with a 0.75 ERA while striking out 16 and walking none in 12 innings. The 23-year-old was an All-Star with the Class A BlueClaws earlier this season. Forsythe was the Phils' 25th round pick in last year's draft.

Outfielder Roman Quinn had a big day last Thursday, when he notched three hits and drove in five runs, but has posted a .132 average in his last 10 games. The 21-year-old was the Phils' 2nd round draft pick in 2011.  In 48 games this year, Quinn, who missed time following off-season Achilles tendon surgery, is batting .237 with three home runs, 19 RBI and 11 steals.

Class A Lakewood BlueClaws...

Yoel Mecias, image- Jay Floyd

Lefty pitcher Yoel Mecias threw five shutout innings while striking out seven and walking three in his return to the Lakewood staff last week. An All-Star with the BlueClaws last year, the 20-year-old Venezuelan, was shutdown last June, after it was discovered that he required Tommy John surgery.

Outfielder Dylan Cozens is 10-for-24 (.417 avg) with a double, two homers and four RBI in his last six games. Overall in 96 games, the 20-year-old is batting .249 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI. Cozens was drafted in the 2nd round in 2012.

Outfielder Larry Greene Jr. is 1-for-23 (.043 avg) in his last seven games. The lefty-hitting 21-year-old, who was drafted in the 1st round and touted for his power in 2011, has not slugged a home run since August 3rd of last season. Greene, who missed time with a wrist ailment this year, has a .184/.264/.264 slash line in 36 games this season.

Short season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters...

Third baseman Jan Hernandez is 2-for-24 (.083 avg) in his last seven games. The 19-year-old righty batter has posted a .172/.252/.338 slash line in 45 combined games with Lakewood and Williamsport this season. Hernandez was the Phillies' 3rd round pick last year.