Phillies recall Zach Eflin to start Tuesday, place Andrew Knapp on DL

By John Town | Aug 8, 2017

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 28: Zach Eflin #56 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch in the third inning during a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park on May 28, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

The Phillies have recalled Zach Eflin from Triple-A to start Tuesday night and placed Andrew Knapp on the disabled list due to his injured hand.

Andrew Knapp has not played since Aug. 3 due to a bruised hand he suffered off the bat of Albert Pujols. The Phillies promoted Jorge Alfaro to the majors to serve as the team’s backup catcher while Knapp was nursing his hand back to full health. However, it seems the injury is more severe than initially thought.

Knapp was placed on the disabled list Tuesday due to that bruised hand retroactive to Aug. 4, meaning he can be activate next Monday when the Phils head back out west to face the Padres. Matt Gelb of Philly.com reports that Knapp should be able to return when eligible Monday.

As a whole this season, Knapp has a .253/.362/.373 slash line with three home runs, 12 runs batted in, and 25 runs scored. In the second half, Knapp had started 12 of Philadelphia’s 19 games prior to being injured, indicating that the torch was being passed on from Cameron Rupp. Now, Rupp will be the starting catcher with Alfaro behind him until Knapp returns.

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To fill Knapp’s spot on the roster, Zach Eflin was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start Tuesday night. He takes over Jake Thompson’s spot in the rotation, who was optioned back to Triple-A after his last start last Wednesday, the same game where Knapp was injured. Thompson gave up seven runs – albeit five were unearned – on three home runs over five innings.

Eflin was in the major-league rotation earlier this year after Clay Buchholz landed on the 60-day disabled list, but his first stint in the majors was not ideal. He posted a 6.13 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and 12.1 percent strikeout in eight starts.

Eflin was off to a decent start, but he gave up seven or more runs in his last three starts before being sent back down to Triple-A. Eflin missed nearly a month of action in Lehigh Valley due to an elbow injury, although he did not sustain any ligament damage.

Next: Rhys Hoskins starting in left field in Triple-A

In Triple-A this year, Eflin has a 4.57 ERA, 2.53 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 1.45 WHIP. He has not been the best pitcher there by any means, but Tuesday falls in line with his turn in the rotation and he is on the 40-man roster already.

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