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hile the nation was focused on the big league All-Star Game on Tuesday, some noteworthy rehab activity was going on in the minor for the Phillies. Reliever Justin De Fratus , top prospect Domonic Brown and minor league outfielder Tyson Gillies all saw game action, after some lengthy absences from the diamond. Firstly, with the Gulf Coast League Phillies completed a suspended game from Monday by downing the Blue Jays team 5-4 in the morning hours. Following that, in a shortened seven-inning affair that the Phils won 7-3, right-hander Justin De Fratus (pictured, right) started and threw a scoreless inning, allowing a hit while striking out one batter. De Fratus has been sidelined with a strained flexor tendon in his throwing elbow. The 24-year-old had previously thrown a simulated game on Saturday, which was his first time facing hitters since April 22nd, when he threw for Class A Advanced Clearwater. De Fratus, the Phillies' 11th round draft pick in 2007, made his big le...

Phillies slugger Ryan Howard was spotted all around Kansas City, the host city for the MLB All-Star Game, on Monday, spending time with children, attending the All-Star HR Derby and hosting his own charity event. Early in the day, the 32-year-old three-time All-Star appeared at a State Farm Insurance sponsored Go To Bat event, which benefits local charities . Following that, Howard, who recently returned to the Phillies' lineup after missing considerable time with a left Achilles tendon injury, mingled with the Kauffman Stadium crowd as he attended the MLB All-Star HR Derby, as a fan, with his fiance and son. The Derby was won by Detroit's Prince Fielder , who defeated Toronto's Jose Bautista in the final round. Later in the evening, at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the Phils' cleanup hitter hosted a charity event to benefit the Ryan Howard Family Foundation . Certainly, Howard's an All-Star off the field, even when he's not recognized as one...

First baseman Chris Duffy has been excellent this season for the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. Through 41 games in the South Atlantic League, the 24-year-old has tallied a .373 batting average with 5 HR and 32 RBI. Additionally, the lefty hitting slugger has reached base via hit or walk in all but one of his 41 games for the BlueClaws this season. On Monday, Duffy was named the Topps South Atlantic League Player of the Month for June, a month in which he batted .420 in 23 games. The 26th round draft pick out of the University of Central Florida in 2010 also spent some time at Class A Advanced Clearwater this year, but after posting a .205 average with 2 HR and 9 RBI in 20 games, Duffy returned to Lakewood. Prior to this year, the 6-foot-2-inch 210-pound Duffy posted a .281 overall batting average with 12 HR and 59 RBI in two seasons with the Gulf Coast League Phillies. Recently, I spoke with Chris about his success in Lakewood, time spent with the Phillies' Ryan Howard , his men...

On the latest edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast, Tug and I discuss rehabbing Phillies players from recent years, some stand out pitching prospects at Class A, injured OF Kyrell Hudson and we deliver an exclusive update on rehabbing Phils reliever Justin De Fratus . Additionally, we share a special announcement about the show. Check out the media player below to listen to the full show, or download it by clicking HERE . Additionally, click HERE to listen to previous episodes of the program. You can also subscribe on iTunes .

The last place Phillies (37-47) have yet to find a cure for their struggles this season. Returning from injury, Ryan Howard (left Achilles tendon) may offer a solution. The former National League Most Valuable Player has averaged more than 36 HR and over 121 RBI per year over the past three seasons for the Phils. This weekend the Phillies will host the division rival Atlanta Braves (43-39) in a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. Atlanta dropped two of three meetings with the Phillies when the two teams met earlier this season. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and more statistical notes on this series. Friday, 7:05 PM. Tim Hudson (6-4, 3.87 ERA) vs. Kyle Kendrick (2-8, 5.35 ERA). In 5 road starts this year, Hudson has a 3-1 record with a 2.34 ERA. Hudson is 1-3 with a 4.30 ERA in 6 career starts at Citizens Bank Park. Ryan Howard is 17-for-52 (.327 avg) with 6 HR and 14 RBI in his career against Hudson. In his last 5 starts, Kendrick has a 0-4 record...

For those of you that regularly check out this site and enjoy the exclusive minor league focused content that it serves up, I want to thank you. PhoulBallz.com began as a hobby for me and has developed into a very enjoyable side gig that comes with some nice perks, but doesn't quite fatten the wallet in a considerable fashion. That leads me to letting you all know of a personal situation that has already impacted my family financially and could affect my ability to continue on with this site. This week, my dog Rocky underwent an expensive surgery to remove a mass in his abdomen as well as his spleen. While doctors believe Rocky has cancer, the Independence Day holiday has delayed a full and accurate diagnosis of the issue that has potentially affected his liver. As recently as Sunday, Rocky had been playing fetch and was acting normally, but on Monday he had great difficulty walking and it became clear something was wrong. Doctors quickly confirmed he had internal bleeding and emer...

The Phillies (36-45) travel to New York to take on the Metropolitans (43-37) in a three-game series beginning Tuesday night. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and other statistical notes. Tuesday, 7:10 PM. Vance Worley (4-4, 2.92 ERA) vs. Jonathan Niese (6-3, 3.55 ERA). In 7 career outings against the Mets, Worley has a 3-2 record with a 3.60 ERA. Worley has a 1.89 ERA in 6 road starts this season. Lucas Duda is 3-for-7 (.429 avg) with a double and a home run against Worley in his career. The left-handed Niese is 3-1 with a 3.74 ERA in 7 home starts this season. In 11 career starts against the Phils, Niese has a 4-4 record with a 3.86 ERA. John Mayberry Jr. is 7-for-22 (.318 avg) with a double and 3 HR in his career against Niese. Wednesday, 1:10 PM. Kyle Kendrick (2-8, 5.35 ERA) vs. Chris Young (2-1, 3.30 ERA). Kendrick is 4-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 17 career games against the Mets. In 6 June starts, Kendrick posted a 1-4 record with a 6.96 ERA. Young...

Mickey Morandini is a former Phillies All-Star that currently guides the Phils' stars of the future. Recently, the manager of the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws took some time to chat about his team as well as a few other Phillies prospects. Subjects include the rotation of shortstops in Lakewood this year, BlueClaws' lefty starter Ethan Stewart , Williamsport's Roman Quinn , Reading's Cody Asche and plenty more. Check out the media player below to hear that full interview with Mickey. _____________________________________________________ You can follow PhoulBallz on Twitter by clicking HERE . Also connect with PhoulBallz on Facebook by clicking HERE .

It's time, once again, for the (sometimes) weekly minor league wrap up. Read ahead for a rundown of some of the Phillies' most noteworthy minor leaguers of late. GCL Phillies...2-8 record, 6th place, 8 GB of 1st place in the GCL North division- Catcher Willians Astudillo has looked great for the GCL club, posting a .423 batting average with 3 doubles and 3 RBI in 7 games played. The Venezuela native was signed by the Phillies in 2008 at the age of 17. Outfielder Dylan Cozens has posted a .286 average with 1 HR, 7 RBI and 2 SB in 8 games since making his pro debut. Cozens was drafted 77th overall by the Phillies this year. Williamsport Crosscutters...7-7 record, 2 GB in the short-season Class A New York-Penn League's Pinckney division- Christopher Serritella , the Phillies' 4th round draft pick this year, has been contributing quite well with the bat. The lefty hitting first baseman/designated hitter tallied a .280 average with 6 doubles, a homer and 9 RBI through the ...

MLB announced its 2012 Major League All-Star rosters on Sunday. Starting pitcher Cole Hamels , catcher Carlos Ruiz and closer Jonathan Papelbon will all represent the Phillies in the annual exhibition. The left-handed Hamels has a 10-4 record with a 3.08 ERA through 16 starts this season. This is Hamels' third All-Star selection. The 28-year-old has averaged 9 strike outs per 8 innings in 2012. Ruiz, named as an All-Star for the first time, led the majors in hitting heading into game action on Sunday with a .358 mark. Additionally, the 33-year-old Panama native has slugged 11 homers with 43 RBI. Ruiz will back up starting catcher Buster Posey , who was voted as the NL starter by the fans. Papelbon, a right-hander, becomes an All-Star Game for the fifth time, his first in the National League. The 31-year-old has a 2-2 record with 18 saves and a 3.03 ERA. Papelbon has not allowed a run this season in 14 games away from Citizens Bank Park. The 2012 All-Star game will take ...

One of the Phillies' newest farmhands is 23-year-old Tim Carver , who was drafted in the 19th round this year, out of the University of Arkansas. Signed by the Phillies this past week, Carver was immediately assigned to the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, who have had considerable offensive concerns from Carver's main position, shortstop, all season long. Carver made his professional debut on Friday as the 'Claws' lead-off man. A native of Fayetteville, AR, Carver is a great defender in the middle infield with exceptional range and a strong arm. Additionally, the 6-foot tall 185-pounder hit .299 this season, while hitting 2 homers, driving in 30 runs and stealing 15 bases with the Razorbacks'. His 79 hits led the team this year. This weekend, I spoke with the righty hitting Carver, who reached base three times in his first professional contest, singling in his initial at bat and walking twice. Check out the media player below to hear that full interview. _______...

Ryan Howard continued to test his recovering Achilles tendon as he rehabbed for the second time in as many nights with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws on Friday. The 32-year-old slugger has been sidelined following off-season surgery to repair the tendon he ruptured in the final at bat of the Phillies' 2011 postseason. In game action on Friday, facing highly regarded Nationals prospect Alex Meyer , who throws a fastball that ranges from 96-98 MPH, Howard went 1-for-2 with a single and a strike out. Howard played first base for five innings and looked good, moving laterally with no problems and completing the end of three different BlueClaws double plays with ease. The efforts on Friday followed his 2-for-4 effort on Thursday, in which laced two singles, hit a Sac fly and drove in three runs as the Lakewood designated hitter. Following the game on Friday, Howard told the media that he is slated to return to Lakewood for another rehab game on Saturday, in which he will again ser...