RHP Asher suspended 80 games for PED's

Major League Baseball announced on Thursday that Phillies minor league pitcher Alec Asher has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, a performance enhancing drug.

Asher was on the disabled list with a lower calf contusion after being hit in the leg with a batted ball for Triple-A Lehigh Valley last month. The 24-year-old posted a 4-2 record with a 2.30 ERA and a .193 batting average against in eight minor league starts this season after opening the 2016 campaign with Double-A Reading.

After he was acquired from Texas as part of the Cole Hamels trade last season, Asher tallied a 0-6 record with a 9.31 ERA in seven big league starts.

Asher is the second Phillies player busted for this substance in 2016. Rule 5 acquisition and lefty pitcher Daniel Stumpf was suspended earlier this season after appearing in three games for the Phils.

Also of note from the farm...

CF prospect Roman Quinn hit the disabled list for AA Reading on Thursday with an oblique strain. The 23-year-old switch-hitter had been batting .288 with three home runs, 16 RBI and 25 steals in 50 games this season. He had just returned after missing eight days with a hamstring strain and has missed time in previous seasons with significant injuries such as a ruptured Achiles tendon as well as a hip tear.

Quinn was the Phillies' second round draft pick in 2011.

Comments

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. ...

PhoulBallz Q&A with Mike Stutes

Mike Stutes completes "The Reading Phils Mike Tri-fecta" over three days, here on PhoulBallz.com. Stutes, a 22 year old, was an 11th round selection by the Phillies in the 2008 amateur draft. Stutes, a right handed starting pitcher, helped lead Oregon State to the College World Series championship in both 2006 and 2007. Stutes and teammate Vance Worley are the first players to begin a season at Reading the year after being drafted since Pat Burrell did it in 1999. Stutes was the Phils' minor league pitcher of the month in August '08, when he went 4-1 with a 1.72 ERA in 6 starts. Check out my Q&A with the third Mike below. Can I get you to talk about the coaching staff and how they help you deal with ups and downs? They've been real positive with me. I started out good and then I hit a rough patch. They've stuck with me through it all. I haven't heard any negative words from them. Every day they try to come out, work with me, try to get me turned around...

Jason Knapp Q&A

PhoulBallz .com was fortunate enough to meet with Phillies prospect Jason Knapp just one day after he caught the attention of the baseball world with his 7 shut out innings, 14 strike out performance against the Indians' Lake County team. - I asked Jason, the Lakewood BlueClaw , for some thoughts about his big game... I had pretty good command of three pitches (fastball, curve, change up). I was on the same page with my catcher, D'Arnaud , and I ended up, ya know, I felt pretty good. - In a great performance like that, how much credit goes to Travis D'Arnaud , the catcher? More than you might expect, definitely. I didn't shake him off once. He told me what to throw and I do what I'm told. And if it works out, a lot of the credit goes to the catcher. - Does the lack of run support (Lakewood has scored 3 total runs in his 3 starts), in your few starts, increase your stress level, or enhance your focus? No, I just try to go out and do my job every outing. Ya know, we...

PhoulBallz.com

Search This Blog