Phillies Pheatured Pitcher: Recently Suspended Alec Asher
By John Town
Alec Asher looked solid in the minor leagues this season before an injury and PED suspension derailed his season. Despite struggles in his MLB debut, he will get another chance to crack the Phillies starting rotation in September.
With Vincent Velasquez shut down for the season, Alec Asher will take his spot in the starting rotation. Now all three pitching prospects acquired in the Cole Hamels trade -Asher, Jerad Eickhoff, and Jake Thompson – will be starting, as pointed out by John Stolnis on his excellent podcast, the Felske Files.
Asher finished out 2015 in the Phillies rotation, making seven starts as he threw 29 major-league innings. He often fell victim to the long ball, surrendering home runs on 16.3% of the fly balls he allowed. The righty posted a 9.31 ERA and equally unimpressive 6.75 FIP. Asher also struggled with his control, yielding 3.1 walks per nine innings.
Prior to this season, Matt Winkleman of Phillies Minor Thoughts and the Good Phight said Asher’s “margin of error is low, because his secondary stuff lacks the bat missing ability to survive non-optimal command.” Asher has a fastball that sits in the low-90s and an above-average slider, but his command was a big question mark coming into the year.
Between AA Reading and AAA Lehigh Valley, Asher showed major improvements in his command. Through May 17, walked just eight batters in seven starts. With a 51% ground-ball rate, Asher got away with his average strikeout numbers. Between the two levels, Asher carried a 2.30 ERA and 0.84 WHIP.
Unfortunately, Asher’s strong start came to a halt when a line drive struck him on the leg. He soon went on the disabled list with a calf contusion.
Not long after, Asher recieved an 80-game suspension for using the anabolic steroid Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone. He wasn’t the only Phillies pitcher to receive a suspension for the drug, as the MLB also flagged Rule 5 selection Daniel Stump.
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Thursday’s start will be Asher’s first non-rehab start since late May. As he gets his second chance at the big-leagues, keep an eye on how Asher commands his pitches as well as any long balls he gives up. If he can succeed in these two areas, Asher will make a strong case to remain in the majors when 2017 begins.