Phillies DFA Aaron Altherr, Odubel Herrera back from IL
The Aaron Altherr era is over for the Phillies as they designate him for assignment
With Odubel Herrera returning from a strained hamstring, the Phillies have opted to designate outfielder Aaron Altherr for assignment.
The decision ultimately came down to whether or not to keep Altherr, who was out of minor league options, or to send Nick Williams down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Altherr will now either be traded, sent to the minors, or released as a free agent.
In his sixth season with Philadelphia Altherr struggled mightily off the bench, hitting an abysmal .034 in 30 plate appearances with just one extra-base hit.
More from Phillies News
- What can Philadelphia Phillies expect from Bryson Stott in 2023?
- 3 Reasons to get excited for Phillies’ Craig Kimbrel signing
- Phillies-Mets owners’ rivalry grows after shocking Carlos Correa deal
- Could Rich Hill become ‘Jamie Moyer 2.0’ in Phillies rotation?
- Does Bailey Falter have a future in Phillies’ rotation?
Over his last 127 games for Philadelphia, Altherr hit just .107 with eight home runs, and if not for a Roman Quinn injury in spring training Altherr likely wouldn’t have made the club out of camp.
It’s a dramatic fall to earth for Altherr after a 19 home run season in 2017, which sparked life into an otherwise disappointing career. Philadelphia gave Altherr opportunity after opportunity, but inconsistency and injuries piled on the ninth round pick of the 2009 MLB Draft.
Altherr ultimately proved to be nothing more than a fourth outfielder for a budding club, but with an inability to play consistently off the bench his career is in jeopardy. He’s a career .163 pinch-hitter with just three home runs.
Ultimately Altherr’s numbers don’t even match those of former Phillies extra man John Mayberry Jr. Despite both getting a multitude of opportunities they proved they weren’t more than bench bats at best.
dark. Next. Philadelphia: 50 greatest players of all-time
With Herrera back in center field, the outfield and lineup are back to where it started the year. Everyone is healthy and the offense is coming back together with the pieces in place.