Phillies activate Justin Bour, temporarily option Zach Eflin
The Phillies did some roster manipulation to make room for their latest addition
After surprisingly trading for first baseman Justin Bour on Friday the Phillies made a corresponding move that drew some questions. To make room for Bour on the 25-man roster the Phillies optioned reliever Zach Eflin to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Eflin pitched Friday night in a 2-0 loss, going six innings allowing two runs and managing eight strikeouts.
Don’t expect Eflin to remain in Lehigh Valley for long, if at all. With a doubleheader against the Mets on Thursday the Phillies are likely to bring Eflin back as the 26th man, which is allowed on days of doubleheaders.
Eflin won’t make any starts for the IronPigs and will likely start against the Mets. This move gives Philadelphia a loaded bench for the rest of their road trip and the start of an important division homestand.
Bour hit .227 with 19 home runs for the Marlins prior to the trade Friday, which sent pitching prospect McKenzie Mills to Miami. The first baseman will fill a role similar to Matt Stairs in 2008 coming off the bench as a major power threat.
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Philadelphia’s bench now consists of Bour, Andrew Knapp, Roman Quinn, Scott Kingery, and J.P. Crawford. Many expected Kingery to be sent back to the IronPigs after a rough first season, but he will, for now, remain with the big team in a super-utility role.
Recently-acquired catcher Wilson Ramos continues to rehab from a hamstring injury. He’ll play Saturday night for Clearwater and is likely to play for the big league team this month. Knapp will likely be demoted once Ramos is healthy, but could return when rosters expand in September.
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Expect Philadelphia to make another roster move after the doubleheader on Thursday before they travel to Williamsport for the Little League Classic.