Philadelphia Phillies place Domonic Brown on paternity leave and recall Aaron Altherr
Jun 23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder
Domonic Brown(9) chases after a single in the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. The Marlins defeated the Phillies, 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Congratulations are in order this morning, with Philadelphia Phillies OF Domonic Brown placed on paternity leave.
The team announced the news on Twitter this morning, following it with another announcement that minor league OF Aaron Altherr would temporarily replace him on the roster.
Placement on the paternity leave list lasts from 1-3 days, so it’s another short major league stint for Altherr (he previously was recalled to replace Tony Gwynn Jr. following his father’s passing).
The team picks Altherr over others, despite only being at double-A and the interruption to his prospect development, because he’s already on the 40-man roster. Triple-A options like Leandro Castro, Steve Susdorf, or Tyler Henson would require a roster spot be created for them, exposing someone to the waiver wire in service of a three-day replacement stint.
In his previous time in the majors, Altherr flew out in his only pinch-hit plate appearance. He’s flipped the switch at double-A Reading in recent weeks, hitting .309/.368/.515 with 13 XBH, 4 SB, and 7 BB since June 1.
He’s listed by MLB.com as the Phillies’ 5th best prospect in their pre-season rankings, but is likely to see the same minor role with the major league club in this 3 game stint.
That Ball’s Outta Here hopes the Brown family is healthy and recovering well after the big day.